Basic non-greasy Turkey Soup after Thanksgiving

So last year, I tried to do turkey soup with the left overs of the turkey carcass....someone told me, just stick the skeleton of the turkey in water and you get this great soup. Turns out it was DISGUSTING. 

So this year, I tried again, a lot more carefully and guess what I succeeded, yes I did, but I have to be honest, that it took some work and basically this recipe involves some days, because getting a good soup means TIME, and bones dissolving....and that requires time. I was really proud though because I did not add any stock to the soup which is a huge achievement. 

INGREDIENTS:

-1 turkey carcass without any skin and without as 

much grease as possible
-6 sticks of celery (and its leaves).

-1 onion.

-3 cloves of garlic.

-1/2 lemon.

-2 carrots.

-1 teaspoon of pepper.

-1.5 teaspoon of salt.

-a good bunch of herbs like cilantro.

STEPS:

1. Leave the turkey carcass in the fridge for a night so that the grease cools off and you can actually cut it off with a knife. It is very important you do this step, otherwise you will have an insanely greasy soup. 

2. Once you cut off all the jelly grease stuck to the bottom of the turkey, take all the skin off, all of it!!! If you don't do this you are wasting your time. They say that if you do this step you are getting out 60per cent of the grease of a chicken.

3. Now put the whole turkey structure in a big pot and add the celery, onions, garlic, herbs, pepper, salt. Do not throw in the pot all kinds of things, like the stuffing, nope, nope. 

3. Okay now bring the whole pot to a boil and then after that, let it simmer for 2 or 3 hours. Now squeeze half a lemon into the soup or put in the soup. This is really important because the acid of the lemon cuts through the remains of the grease of the soup and gives it an entire different consistency...really transforms it, makes it a lot more light and airy.

4. Now after 4 hours simmering, turn soup off. Leave it outside until it cools off (I left mine out for a day), and then I sticked it in the fridge, with everything turkey, veggies, etc. You are doing this so that the liquid gets as much flavour as possible and so that the grease comes up to the surface and freezes.

5. Now after a day of the soup in the fridge all the greese will be up the top. Remove it with a spoon and toss it. Now time to drain the rest of the liquid with a big drainer. Pour everything, meat and veggies in the same pot and pick out the good meat. I find so much of it it's just trash.

6. Your soup is ready. Add some of that turkey meat and keep in refrigerator for the next times you want to serve. I add rice to it. 

7. Another trick to change the flavour of this broth, is to add some Chinese vinegar. It drastically changes the flavour but really goes so well together.

So these are my tricks, do you have any?  

I don't have a photo of the soup! yikes, of well, it looks just like a broth. I think next time I will do this recipe, looks awesome.

Hey, Christmas is coming!