Don’t throw away that turkey carcass until you try this Cajun gumbo

If you have reached the point in Thanksgiving weekend when you are tired of reheated turkey or turkey sandwiches, Cajun country offers one more culinary option: turkey bone gumbo with sausage.

This thick hearty gumbo is an economical and tasty way to turn your picked-at turkey carcass into several hearty meals that can be eaten immediately or frozen for consumption during the cold months ahead.

New Orleans writer and photographer Pableaux Johnson, a native of New Iberia, La., developed his recipe when he was in his 20s living in Austin, Texas. When he would visit friends’ homes for Thanksgiving dinner, he’d ask them at the end of the meal what they were planning to do with the carcass.

“They would look at me like I was nuts,” Johnson said. “They’d say, ‘Well, we were just going to get rid of it.'”

Instead of spending Black Friday shopping, Johnson would spend it collecting the unwanted turkey carcasses from people he knew around town. With the addition of sausage, seasonings and many hours of slow cooking, he would turn those bones into gumbo and throw a party for those same friends that weekend.

Johnson, who runs the Red Bean Roadshow at popup locations around the country, says there’s one crucial difference between turkey bone gumbo and other gumbos. Instead of beginning with a roux, to which the broth is later added, Johnson says you make the broth first and add the roux later.

See below for Johnson’s recipe.

Pableaux’s Turkey Bone Gumbo

SERVES 8
PREP TIME: 2 hours, 30 minutes
COOK TIME: 2+ hours

Roasted Turkey Bone Broth

• 1 turkey carcass (bones, giblets and leftover skin from a roasted turkey)
• 3 ribs celery, cut into 4-inch pieces
• 2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
• 4 quarts water, or enough to cover carcass
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 4 bay leaves

Turkey Bone Gumbo

• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup flour
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 1/2 cup chopped bell peppers
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 pound smoked sausage (such as andouille or kielbasa), chopped
• 3 quarts turkey broth
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onion
• steamed white rice, for serving

STEPS

For the broth:

1. Place turkey carcass in large stockpot. Add celery, onions, water, salt, peppercorns and bay leaves.
2. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered for 2 to 4 hours (the longer the better).
3. Remove from heat and skim any fat that has risen to the surface.
4. Strain through a large colander into another pot.
5. Reserve any meat that has fallen off the bones and pick off any meat that may still remain on the carcass.
6. Use immediately or freeze in quart-size containers.
7. Makes about 2 to 3 quarts (or enough for 1 gumbo).

For the gumbo:

1. Combine oil and flour in a heavy-bottomed cast-iron pot or enameled cast-iron Dutch oven.
2. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring slowly and consistently for 20 to 25 minutes, to make a dark brown roux, the color of chocolate. 
3. Season onions, bell peppers, and celery with salt and cayenne and add them to the roux.
4. Cook and stir vegetables and roux over medium heat until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.
5. Add sausage and cook, stirring often, for 5 to 7 minutes.
6. Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes.
7. Add reserved turkey meat and simmer for 30 minutes.
8. Add parsley and green onions.
9. To serve, ladle into soup bowls over steamed white rice.