I woke up this morning and thought–”Oh no! I hope I’m not too late to remind you to NOT throw away your turkey carcass from Thanksgiving!” If I’ve caught you in time, I’ll try to make it quick! And, if you haven’t thought about it and are still picking the meat off the bones–today is also the day to remind you that TODAY is the last day it could possibly be good.

(But before I continue, let me first say that not all Jewish mothers enjoy instigating guilt–although most of us mothers, Jewish or not, will do it happily when it serves an important purpose–and what I’m about to say about making turkey stock certainly does–so listen up! )

Throwing out a cooked turkey frame should make you feel bad—awful–like dumping out a vat of ice-cold, crystal-clear water in the middle of the sun-parched Sahara desert. (Don’t worry, if you’ve still got the carcass, there’s still time to save yourself.)

Turkey bones make the most fabulous broth!–Especially if you add some raw poultry parts, which will augment the taste substantially–See–it’s the bones (cooked or not) that lend texture (a discernible physical dimension) to stock that will make it seem almost thickened, yet still esthetically clear–This “thickness” comes from both, gelatin (contained in bones) and the breaking down of cartilage which, after enough simmering, creates a liquid with more depth. The fact that the bones have been initially cooked –provides a “browned” part–and it’s this that offers not just an amazing depth of flavor but also a noticeably rich color that is simply not attainable when using all raw components. So, when you add raw poultry–you are bringing the sweet, pure taste of virgin skin and meat to the table (to the pot) and, adding something cooked adds the flavor and color benefits (coming from a special kind of brown-color compounds– from caramelization). Each offers a completely unique set of attributes to your finished stock.

So, today, since Thanksgiving just passed–the star “cooked component” is the turkey carcass.

And making stock is so easy!

Instead of throwing the cooked carcass into the garbage, toss it into a big pot with aromatic vegetables.

(Cut up lots of carrots, celery, onions, cleaned and sliced leeks–and what you don’t use today, simply freeze in a doubled freezer bag.) I also add some whole cloves of garlic and a bushy bunch of Italian parsley–stems and leaves), whole black peppercorns along with some other chicken parts that I’ve always got stashed in the freezer. I usually keep a whole chicken or two frozen-as well as some boney wings, necks, backs, etc. (To see me cutting up a chicken in a way that will forever help you to replenish your supply of boney poultry pieces, click here.)

Then cover the contents with cold water (not hot, which is oxygen-deprived and isn’t as fresh-tasting) and add some whole black peppercorns. Bring the whole lot to a bubble, skim off any gray, bubbly scum that rises to the top, which is the impurities from the bones leaching out.

Here is a skimmer…

Here’s how to use it…

(This stuff won’t kill –it’s just not appetizing.)

Then, let the contents of the pot bubble gently, with the cover ajar, for a few hours–

Occassionally adding more vegetables, if you like.

After that, remove the pot from the stove and place on a sturdy wire rack, which will help facilitate cooling. Allow the solids to cool as long as you can, then use a large ladle or a big liquid measure, to strain the solids out of the broth (into a large sieve positioned over a large bowl).

Here (below) is something you never would have had if you threw out the turkey carcass!

Now–you can finally throw away all those solids.

But make sure to close the lid of the garbage!

Be careful–your dog will have an entirley different set of reasons why making stock is extremely valuable!

Now, chill the stock and allow the fat to rise to the top.

Skim off the fat–then ladle the pure stock into freezer containers and store in the freezer.

Now…whenever you or someone you love needs it bad, you can easily make a nurturing soup!

With or without matzo balls.

To watch me make chicken stock, click here. To learn to make an amazing pot of chicken soup, click here.

The Point: Thanksgiving gives us many reasons and ways to celebrate some of life’s most humble, albeit valuable, offerings like love, family, hospitality and friendship. And, choosing to make stock–whether from the bones of a holiday turkey or a weeknight roast chicken is one simple, yet far-reaching way to, at whim, provide more of these same offerings–especially needed and appreciated during the cold winter months. It’s also a way to revisit (and to teach to our 21st century children) the importance of being resourceful–and of living each day on purpose.

Tags: chicken soup, chicken stock, easy turkey stock recipe, how to make turkey stock, what to do with a cooked turkey carcass

I’ve been asked a few times since my pumpkin blog if there is an easy way to separate the stringy pumpkin matter from the seeds (when wanting to cook the seeds). The answer is “yes” and here’s how:

After halving the pumpkins and scooping out the seeds and strings, place all of it into a bowl.

Then cover the contents with cold water. Use your hand to swish everything around, helping to separate the seeds from the strings, so it all sits freely and then watch what happens! After a minute or two, since the density of both are different, each will behave differently in water. The pulpy pumpkin strings will sink and the seeds will float and will look like this…

Then, just use your hand to scoop (skim) the seeds out of the top of the water. Pick out any few stray pieces of pumpkin strings. Then rinse, blanch, season, roast and eat up!

Tags: how to work with fresh pumpkin seeds, pumpkin seeds

I’ve gotten so many wonderful emails about your pumpkin cooking success that I thought I would keep the ball rolling by showing you something that’s really delicious– that most never even think to do!

Today, you’ll learn how to make shrimp stock; a savory, amber-colored broth made from the shells of fresh shrimp that can be used as an incredibly flavorful (thus valuable) component of rice, soups, stews and sauces. And, the craziest part, most people toss the shells in the garbage! I’m also going to show you how to remove the gritty intestinal vein (to devein) and then to butterfly shrimp, which helps them to curl nicely when they simmer.

By the way, although shelling shrimp is, as you’ll soon see, easy to do yourself, you can ask your fish-monger to do it–But remember, shrimp are usually first weighed with their shells on, so you’re paying for them and have every right to ask to take them home!

OK, first, let’s remove the shells: When you take shrimp home, put them in a colander and rinse them well under cold running water. You’ll need a thin, preferably serrated knife since the jagged edge of the blade helps to easily sever the shell.

Working with one at a time, hold a shrimp in your nonworking hand, tail at the top and outer (larger curved side) of the shell facing out (like below).

Holding your knife handle in your working hand, insert the tip of the serrated blade inside the bottom of the shell (blade facing outward toward the shell–not toward the shrimp flesh). Like this…

Now, while holding firmly onto the shrimp, bring the blade of the serrated knife upward, toward the tail, splitting open the shell as you go. (Only about 1/4 of an inch of the blade should be inserted.)

When you get to the top (the tail) you can either continue, in order to remove it along with the rest, or leave it on–Depending on what you intend to do with the shrimp. (Leaving the tails on, when simmering shrimp in a hearty stew, gives the dish a nice rustic touch.) Pull off the outer shell which will also carry with it the legs that are located in the inner curved portion of the shrimp.

Before you put each shelled shrimp into a bowl, you need to rinse it well (especially where you cut open the shell) since this is where you’ll find the intestinal vein. (By the way, if you don’t devein the shrimp, eating the vein won’t physically kill you–but it’s pretty gross, don’t you think??)

Below is a fully cleaned shrimp (meaning, it’s been shelled and deveined).

So, you’ll accumulate all your shells in one bowl and all the shrimp in another.

At this point, after patting the shrimp dry, you can season and skewer them for the grill or you can chop them to use as part of a stuffing, or anything else that your recipe instructs.

When simmering clams (in a red sauce, for instance) I like to “butterfly” shrimp, which simply means that I take the same knife used to remove the shell and I cut a bit more deeply into that same crevice. Like this…

Here is a perfectly butterflied shrimp.

Now, let’s make shrimp stock.

Rinse the shells under cold water in a sieve.

And drain them well.

Fat or no fat–You have a choice (and I opt for a bit of butta, baby!)

Add a couple of tablespoons of full-butter (not clarified) to a skillet and, when hot and bubbling, add the drained shells. (You can omit the butter and just add the shells to a dry, hot skillet). Stir the shells in the pan until they go from their natural grayish transclucency to…

A deep salmony pink color. Keep sauteeing, over high heat, stirring pretty constantly until the shells begin to caramellize (and here’s where that butter helps because the milk solids candy along with the sugars in the shells (this smells amazing). This step is the equivalent of browning bones (chicken, beef, veal, etc.) before simmering them in liquid.

You can see this caramelization….Look (above) at the bottom of the pan…This brown stuff holds amazing flavor (it’s called “the fond”) and when released with liquid, it leaves the bottom of the pan and goes into the stock (which will happen now).

Add to the pan, cold water to cover the cooked shells along with some aromatic vegetables (carrots, celery, leeks, onions) and whole black peppercorns.

By the way, I always keep a doubled jumbo bag of cut up aromatics in my freezer.

So I’m always ready and able to quickly put a pot of shrimp stock together…

And, since browned shrimp shells offer their goodness so readily to liquid, after just 30 minutes to 1 hour of simmering, drag the pan to a cool burner and allow the solids to cool in the broth.

Then, strain…

Discard the solids and what you have is quite the bowl of deliciousness!

Shrimp stock can be used right away or you can store it in the fridge for a few days, or in tubs in the freezer for several months.

Here are just a few uses….

Here the shrimp stock has been brought to a boil in a pan with sauteed vegetbles and toasted raw rice, to make a rice pilaf …

Here is the rice after simmering…

(A detailed rice lesson is coming…)

You would choose to use shrimp stock in this pilaf when serving a dish that features a complimentary protein. Like this…

Clams and shrimp simmered in a spicy red sauce (detailed blog coming).

Or you can butterfly the shrimp (remember I showed you how about 3 minutes ago) and you can simmer them gently in red sauce (with lots of garlic and basil. Then, you would ladle the piping hot, cooked shrimp (with an ample amount of sauce) into a heatproof dish and then scatter some shreddeed cheese on top. (I mix Italian fontina, mozzarella, parmesan and muenster). Then, just run the dish under a hot broiler until the cheese is all hot and bubbling, and you’ve got yourself an amazing Shrimp Parmesan!

You could serve the above with a side of cooked pasta (angel hair) that’s bathed in some melted butter and hot shrimp stock. Yikes, that’s good!

The Point: Shrimp shells are not just something to throw away. They can be used to create a truly heightened level of flavor in many dishes that feature seafood. I hope today’s lesson has helped you to feel more inspired and able to do so. Please let me know! I’m here for you. Laur..

Tags: how to butterfly shrimp, how to devein shrimp, how to shell shrimp, rice pilaf, shelling fresh shrimp, shrimp and clams fra diavolo, shrimp parmesan, shrimp stock recipe