Heritage recipe provided by Chef Kevin Mertens-Rowan, Chef de Cuisine at the Plumed Horse in Saratoga, as part of Fall+Holiday 2017's Chefs Talk Turkey article.
Ingredients
- 1 (10- to 12-pound) turkey carcass, broken apart
- 1 yellow onion, split in half
- 2 carrots, broken into chunks
- 2 celery stalks, broken into chunks
- 4 quarts water
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 3 cups water or stock
- ½ cup barley
- ½ cup diced yellow onion
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 cup picked turkey meat
About this recipe
Mertens-Rowan Family Turkey Soup
Preparation
Put the leftover turkey bones in a large pot with the onion, carrots and celery.
Cover the bones and vegetables with about 4 quarts of water and bring to a boil.
Once the pot comes to a boil, add the thyme and bay leaf, then turn down to a simmer.
Let simmer for about 2–3 hours, then strain and season with salt to taste.
To finish the soup:
Bring 3 cups of water or stock to a boil, add the barley and turn down to simmer. Let barley cook for about 40 minutes, or until tender. Strain and set aside.
Dice onion, carrot and celery. In a medium sauté pan put a 1 tablespoon of oil. Once hot, add vegetables and sweat until tender. Set them aside.
In a medium pot, bring the turkey broth up to a simmer, add in as much barley, vegetables and turkey as you like. Enjoy!
Chef Note: "I like to cook everything separately to make sure nothing is overcooked."
