I dunno how other people make their turkey soup, but I take a make-it-up-as-I-go approach. Since I was never the biggest fan of my mom's turkey soup (sorry mom) I knew I had to go about this a different way than what I had experienced growing up. Mom would simmer her soup for, I kid you not, 24+ hours. It tasted like overboiled turkey sludge to me. The lima beans, poor spice use, in addition general texture of the soup was in no way appetizing to me, and still isn't. (I am so screwed when I go visit for the holidays, but she did make everything else perfectly! I swear to God, wait till I share the recipe and pictures for her flank steak!) She actually would pay my brother and I a quarter for every bone we could find in the soup just so we would eat it - we rarely ever found one I just realized, the sneak! - and I remember many a nights sitting at the table for 3 or 4 hours on strike against the bowl in front of me.Still, I wanted to make turkey soup; only my way. There isn't a recipe really, but I can tell you how I went about it. I sauteed the giblets in a 1/4 cup of butter, then threw in the turkey neck, a broken up carrot, some celery root, an onion cut into quarters, a few cloves of crushed garlic, peppercorns, kosher salt, thyme, sage, and rosemary. I let that boil with some water and chicken broth for a few hours. After a while, boom, turkey stock and you never even taste the chicken broth I used to cheat.
I took a spider and scooped everything out. I threw in some of the left over turkey, and cut up bits of the same veggies I used before. A few dashes of cayenne for good measure and luck is always welcome too. Let it go for about an hour and then throw in some rice or pasta. When the pasta/rice is done, feel free to serve.
Let me tell you that butter, the herbs, and the stock make this soup so shibby spectacular. Next year, turkey chilli. Unless I go the route my mom and brother went this year... lobster!
CAMERA UPDATE: Okay, we have the camera jerryrigged. I mean duct tape is keeping the battery in, and the cover/on-off switch is kinda not working so one finger has to keep it on, while still aiming and shooting. I like to think of it as customized, rather than trashified.
...I hate that cat so much right now.
And yes, I know the soup picture sucks, but hey, there is no light by the time I make dinner and my apartment doesn't provide good light on it's own, so blah.
I read your other post about the camera issues earlier but my computer wouldn't let me comment then - not on anyone's blogs - apparently it was having a hissy fit of some type about my long-winded comments maybe! Anyway, decided I would have to make this a two-fer - two comments in one space!
ReplyDeleteFirst - my sincere sympathy to you on the camera issues and hope you manage to scrounge lots and lots of overtime to be able to fund a new one or - better yet - you win the lottery and don't have to work tons of OT for anything!
Now - turkey soup - your recipe sounds pretty good - except for the giblets and neck part - I pitched them out first thing when I prepped the turkey and will continue to do that with every fowl to come into my kitchen in the future to - hate 'em!
But, I do like turkey rice soup (or chicken rice too) and this sounds like I could still do a batch next time I do a turkey - or large chicken - with the other ingredients and maybe a leg tossed in to cook -don't particularly care for drumsticks either!
Hehe- I cheat by using pre-made stock in my soups too. No one's noticed so far!
ReplyDeleteGarrett, the same happened to my first digital camera, which I used for months/years with an horrible piece of duc tape showing off and holding the battery case. It died after so many accidents, but it was very useful while it lasted. I'm glad we are continuing to enjoy your pics! :-)
ReplyDeleteYour cat is a darling... don't hate it! :-))
I thought I lost my digital camera, but I found it and I will have it on Sat... that would have been TWO food blogger "photographers" sidelined... ;)
ReplyDeleteMy mother gave me a reeeeeeeally nice digital camera for my birthday two years ago, with the caveat, "Don't do something stupid like get drunk and lose it."
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think I did? (Actually, I left it on the table at a wedding reception and it wasn't there when I returned, so technically, it was stolen)
I still haven't told her and I never plan to.
Your picture looks better than mine! Sorry to hear you had to rig your camera up but I'm glad to hear it works!!!
ReplyDeleteThat soup looks delicious!
I love the cold weather mostly so one can have soup!
ReplyDeleteLovely Blog!
i loved reading about your memories. want to make them again this year?
ReplyDeleteAmy
I'm glad you got your camera fired up again. I thought I had lost mine last week and had a little crisis. We also can't afford a new camera right now and I couldn't imagine blogging without it.
ReplyDeleteYour soup sounds really tasty and you are very brave to criticize your Mom's soup. Even when I am obliquely critical of my mom on my blog I get in big trouble...o
Wow I could never whip something up like that and just "make it up as I go" and have it come out delicious. But your soup looks and sounds so tasty!
ReplyDeleteI also remember many nights sitting and striking against the bowl in front of me. And I see how my daughter "likes some of my soups" . Every time she thinks out million excuses , leads me up to despair and finally the cooled down soup is thrown out. I'll try your soup. My be she will love it.
ReplyDeleteGreat Silverware! Where's it from?
ReplyDeleteMonkey - Target. So simple. So awesome. So only 20 bucks.
ReplyDelete