3 more ways to use up that turkey stock

In last week’s Seasonal Pantry, I focused on turkey stock, one of the treasures of the season. Today’s recipes take advantage of that stock, too. When you have it in your freezer, it’s the gift that keeps on giving.

Stock contributes flavor and texture to a dish, and changing the kind of stock you use in a dish can transform it. A simple risotto made with chicken stock takes on an entirely different character when made with turkey stock, as the first recipe in today’s column shows.

The same is true with bread soups. Switch out the type of stock and the dish is transformed; with turkey stock, it is evocative of my favorite stuffing, with sourdough bread, celery, onions and sage.

Turkey works beautifully in posole, too. Posole verde, typically made with pork, is my favorite, but I’ve been trying to find an alternative version for a dear friend who does not eat pork. I don’t think chicken works well in posole, as it takes on an unpleasant taste when cooked too long. Beef works beautifully in posole rojo, but it overwhelms the subtle flavors of posole verde.

But turkey works!

Turkey is often used in one of the seven moles of Oaxaca, the verde version, which does not include the chocolate most Americans think of when mole is mentioned. I expect to have my version of turkey posole perfected in time for New Year’s Eve.

In the meantime, here are three delicious ways to use all that delicious turkey stock you’ve been making.

When it comes to rice for risotto, I prefer Vialone Nano, which can be difficult to find. My second choice is Carnaroli, and it tends to be readily available. If your only option is Arborio, the most common Italian rice in the U.S., you may need to add more liquid; it’s the driest of the three varieties. Risotto should be voluptuous and creamy, not at all like, say, Chinese fried rice.

Turkey Risotto

Makes 4-5 servings

2 tablespoons turkey fat, lard or butter

1 large shallot, cut into small dice

1 ½ cups Vialone Nano or Carnaroli rice

Kosher salt

Black pepper in a mill

6 to 8 cups turkey stock, hot

2 cups cooked dark turkey meat, shredded

4 ounces Italian Taleggio or California teleme cheese

1 tablespoon minced fresh sage leaves

Fresh sage leaves, for garnish

Cranberry relish or cranberry chutney, optional

Heat the fat in a large, deep saucepan set over medium-low heat, add the shallots and saute until soft and fragrant, about 7 - 8 minutes. Add the rice and saute, stirring all the while, until each grain turns milky white, about 2 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper.

Begin to add stock, ½ cup at a time, stirring after each addition until all the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding stock and stirring until the rice is just tender but not at all mushy, about 18 - 20 minutes. If liquid runs low, add water to the pot with the stock.

When the rice is almost ready, fold in the turkey and the cheese and stir gently until the cheese melts and is fully incorporated into the risotto.

Taste and correct for salt and pepper.

Add the remaining stock and the minced sage, stir and remove from the heat. Ladle into warmed soup plates, garnish with sage leaves and serve right away, topped with a dollop of cranberry relish or chutney, if using.

_____

There are countless versions of picadillo and similar dishes around the world, from America’s Sloppy Joe to Laos’s larb. Ground seafood, poultry and meat, seasoned with indigenous vegetables, herbs and spices, are a ubiquitous staple wherever people cook. Here I use homemade turkey stock and ground turkey thighs to make a delicious fall version. Serving suggestions follow the main recipe, and I suggest you read them before starting the recipe so you can gather everything you need in advance.

Turkey Picadillo

Makes 4 to 8 servings

3 tablespoons turkey fat, lard or butter

1 large yellow onion, cut into small dice

3 garlic cloves, minced

Kosher salt

2 inner celery stalks, cut into small dice

1 tablespoon minced fresh sage

Pinch of red pepper flakes, plus more to taste

2 pounds minced or ground turkey thighs

¾ cup dry white wine

¾ cup turkey stock

12 ounces new potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice

1 cup pitted green olives, sliced

Black pepper in a mill

Whole sage leaves, for garnish

Put the fat into a heavy saute pan set over medium heat and, when it is hot, add the onion and saute until soft and fragrant. Add the garlic and saute 1 minute more. Season with salt.

Add the celery, reduce the heat and saute very gently until soft and translucent. Add the sage and red pepper flakes and season lightly with a bit more salt.

Increase the heat, add the meat and break it up with a fork. Continue to cook, stirring all the while with a fork, until it loses its raw look and takes on some color, about 12 - 15 minutes. Season again with a bit of salt.

Add the wine and simmer until it is nearly completely reduced. Add the stock, potatoes, sweet potatoes and olives. Lower the heat and simmer until the potatoes and sweet potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir gently now and then.

Uncover the pan and simmer until most of the liquid evaporates. Remove from the heat, taste, correct for salt and season with several generous turns of black pepper.

To serve, see suggestions below and garnish with sage leaves. Enjoy right away.

Serving suggestions: Serve as an appetizer on cabbage leaves. For a main course, serve over steamed white rice, shredded raw cabbage, sauteed cabbage or toasted hearth bread.

_____

This voluptuous soup, inspired by a recipe in Georgeanne Brennan’s “The Food and Flavors of Haute Provence” (Chronicle Books, 1997), has layers of flavor that evoke this time of year. Replacing chicken stock with turkey stock transforms the soup into something truly transcendent.

Winter Squash Soup with Gorgonzola, Green Onions and Sage

Makes 4-6 servings

3 tablespoons butter

1 yellow onion, cut into small dice

Kosher salt

3 ½ to 4 cups cooked winter squash (see Note below)

2 cups turkey stock, plus more as needed

¾ cup half-and-half

6 green onions, trimmed and cut into very thin rounds

1 tablespoon minced sage

Black pepper in a mill

2 ounces Gorgonzola or similar cheese

1 tablespoon toasted and salted pumpkin seeds

Put the butter into a large saucepan set over medium-low heat, add the onion and saute until soft and fragrant, about 15 minutes; do not let it brown.

Season with salt.

Add the squash and turkey stock, whisk together until smooth and simmer gently for about 5 minutes. If the texture is not as smooth as you prefer, puree with an immersion blender or pass through a fine sieve into a clean pot.

Return to the heat; add the half-and-half, green onions, sage and several generous turns of black pepper. Heat through, stirring gently all the while. If the soup is a bit too thick for your taste, thin with a bit more turkey stock and heat through.

Remove the pan from the heat, add the cheese and stir very gently with a wooden spoon until it is just incorporated.

Working quickly, ladle into soup plates, top with pumpkin seeds and enjoy right away.

Note: Do not use a carving pumpkin in this recipe. Almost any other winter squash — acorn, butternut, sugar pumpkin, kuri, delicata — will yield excellent results. You’ll need 3 - 4 pounds of squash, which should be cut into sections and roasted in a 350-degree oven until quite tender. After it cools, remove the seeds, fibers and skins; put the flesh in a large bowl and mash with a sturdy dinner fork or small vegetable masher.

Michele Anna Jordan is the author of 24 books to date, including “More Than Meatballs.” Email her at michele@micheleannajordan.com