Pondering my relationship with poultry

One of the meats Mark and I served for Easter Sunday dinner was a turkey breast.

And by Easter Monday I was making turkey soup from the leftovers — because that’s what I always do with the remains of a roasted turkey.

While I was letting those bones simmer on the stove, in water with celery, onions and herbs, I had time to ponder my relationship with poultry.

I realized I’ve never approached a stove thinking, “Today I will make homemade turkey soup (or chicken soup) simply because I want to.”

And I’ve never approached a store thinking, “Now I will buy some turkey (or chicken) in order tomake some soup.”

No, for me, the turkey soup or chicken soup is always Part II, the natural follow-up after the turkey or chicken has been roasted and served as an entree. It’s just the thrifty way to get the last bits of flavor from the meat and bones.

As I perused other recipes online, I noticed that quite a few of them call for using stock, and they don’t always mention that you can make your own.

Of course you could buy a few cartons of stock, or make some by mixing water with bouillon.

But if you have a turkey or chicken skeleton, perhaps with some meat still clinging to it, you’ll get a great waste-not-want-not feeling from using it to make your own stock.

For me, making stock for soup usually turns into a 2-day affair because I chill it overnight so any fat will rise to the top and I can easily remove it with a spoon.

After Thanksgiving, I remember, I had the skeleton of a large whole turkey, lots of skin, and pieces of leftover light and dark meat. That all contributed to a rich, golden broth — and I remember skimming noticeable fat off the broth the next day.

For Easter, having used only the remainder of a turkey breast for the soup, I didn’t find much fat to remove at all. So I probably wouldn’t even have had to chill it overnight this time.

But here’s my recipe. It’s not the only way to make homemade turkey soup, but it’s fairly easy.

EASY LEFTOVER TURKEY SOUP

Leftover turkey

2-4 ribs of celery

2-3 onions

small bunch parsley, sage or other herbs

3-4 carrots

1 cup of roasted turkey, diced or shredded, that you have reserved from your leftovers

noodles, rice or pasta

Place leftover turkey skeleton in a stock pot or Dutch oven. Break it into pieces that will fit into pot easily. An added benefit, if you break the bones, is that should enhance the flavor even more. You can add the neck, the skin, and the pan drippings from your roasted bird, if you wish. Chop celery and onions into large pieces; it’s OK to leave skin on the onions. Add celery, onions and herbs to pot. Cover with cold water by at least an inch. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, allow to simmer about 2 hours. If water seems to be evaporating too quickly, reduce heat.

Allow to cool, strain and discard turkey skeleton. Chill overnight and remove fat. To this stock add carrots, cooking until carrots are soft. Add the noodles or pasta and cook until al dente. Add the reserved diced or shredded turkey and serve.