You’ve heard it before: Homemade stock makes the difference between good and great cooking. It’s true all year but especially at Thanksgiving, when a flavorful, full-bodied stock can upgrade everything from gravy to stuffing. For me, stock isn’t done until it has the consistency of Jell-O when it’s cold—that’s when it has enough body to make you swear off the thin, watery, store-bought stuff. I make it way ahead of time, and on the big day, no matter how much I’ve got going on the stovetop, I always earmark a burner for a saucepan of warm stock and use it for more than just gravy. When I’m sautéing onions and notice they’re a bit dry, I’ll loosen things up with a splash of stock. I’ll add just enough to the turkey roasting pan to keep it from scorching during cooking. If I added all my milk and cream to the mashed potatoes but they need another nudge, stock can get them to the good place. Once you’ve made homemade stock, you’ll wonder why you ever didn’t. Here are some tips.
Your Stockpot Is Not a Garbage Pail
This may seem like the ideal place for every sad-looking vegetable in your crisper drawer, but keep the limp carrots and greens out of it. For the best flavor, start with perky produce, and make sure you have a mix of herbs and veggies so the stock’s taste isn’t too much like any one vegetable (e.g., alliums or celery) but rather is a balance of their flavors.
H Is for Ham Hock
Why would you invite a pig to a bird party? For its flavor and fat. Smoked ham hock brings a bacon-y profile, as well as a little more richness.
That’s What Freezers Are For
The best thing about stock? You can make a lot of it at one time and it’ll last for six months. (If you have a zest for batching and a very large stockpot, go ahead and double this recipe.) Freeze it in different-size containers for versatility: A couple of frozen stock cubes from an ice tray can help you make a pan sauce; a pint can be added to a braise; and a quart container is helpful for making risotto.
Wing It
Many butcher shops and supermarkets carry turkey wings, but chicken wings are a fine substitute.
