Make-Ahead Turkey Stock, Football-Weekend Style

Roasted Turkey Stock simmers on Stovetop
Liquid gold for your holiday cooking.

This is my favorite kind of pre-Thanksgiving project—the kind you can knock out while settling in for a little College Football. Honestly, it’s perfect: the kitchen stays warm, the house starts smelling like the holiday, and the only thing you really have to remember is don’t let it boil… which is easy enough to manage during commercial breaks.

 

Roasted Turkey Wings and Necks

I go big on flavor here. Fresh turkey wings (four) plus that stash of necks and bones from last year? Absolute gold. I roast everything at 450°F for a full hour, just until those edges get deep brown and the pan drippings look like pure flavor. Drop them into your largest stock pot. Then—don’t skip this part—I splash in a little water into the roasting pan and scrape up every last bit to pour right into the stock pot. 

From there, it’s all the classics:

  • 6 carrots, chopped into big 2-inch pieces
  • 6 celery ribs, same treatment
  • 1 whole head of garlic, halved
  • 3 onions, quartered
  • 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 6 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 6 sprigs flat-leaf parsley

Everything goes into the pot (I'm using a 16-quart), covered with cold water, and then it just simmers—low and slow—for about 4 hours. As it warms up, skim off any foam or impurities that rise to the top. It keeps the stock clean and clear, the culinary version of tightening up the play before the drive really gets moving.

Absolutely no boiling. Boiling clouds the stock and bullies the flavor. A gentle simmer, a quick skim now and then, and a little patience—that’s how you coax out the kind of deep, steady flavor you want… the same way you’d hope a good drive marches down the field.

And like always, this is a salt-free stock. That’s on purpose. It gives you the freedom to reduce it later for gravy or stuffing without worrying about it getting too salty. You season your dishes as you cook, layer by layer, just the way it should be.

By the time the game wraps up, you’ll have liquid gold ready to cool, strain, and stash for the big day. Football, delicious aromas, zero stress… this is how you ease into Thanksgiving week.

Happy Thanksgiving, friends.
 
As always, reach out to The Small Town Chef with any questions or comments. We look forward to hearing from you.

Copyright © 2025 The Small Town Chef - All Rights Reserved.
 

 

Location: Northampton, PA, USA

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