- Carcass of a roasted 8- to 15-pound (3.6- to 6.8-kg) turkey, broken or cut into pieces, plus the gizzard, heart, and neck
- 12 cups (3 l) Basic Chicken Stock , commercial chicken broth, or water
- Bring the carcass, gizzard, heart, neck, and liquid to a boil in a large stockpot. Skim the fat. Lower the heat. Simmer for 6 hours or longer (I sometimes leave it for 12 hours or longer), skimming from time to time . Partially covering the pot with a lid or using an otoshi-buta will mean less evaporation. Otherwise, more water may need to be added for the longer cooking times.
- Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve. The stock can be refrigerated at this point and continued another day.
- Skim off the fat from the stock. Return to the pot and boil to reduce the liquid to 10 cups (2.5 l). Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for 3 hours.
- Remove the fat from the top of the and the sediment from the bottom . Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze.