CityView Magazine

A few ways to use all your leftover turkey and trimmings Years ago I was a law school student living in Memphis, Tenn., which was just a three hour drive from my family in Nashville. It made sense for me to go home to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday with my parents and siblings, and I did. But every year while I lived there I woke up early on Black Friday morning — not to go to the mall, but to get in my car and drive back to Memphis. There was one reason and one reason only for my abbreviated Thanksgiving weekends at home: Turkey Gumbo. Of my fellow law students, a girl named Val, had worked as a chef and a caterer before trying her hand at law. But she hadn't lost her passion for cooking and entertaining and every year on Black Friday she made gumbo with the Thanksgiv- ing turkey leftovers. She'd lived in Louisiana for several years before moving to Memphis and had picked up some gumbo tricks along the way. She started her stew early in the day and by mid-afternoon her apartment was filled with the gumbo's delicious aroma and with friends gathered to eat and watch football. It became a favorite holiday tradition of mine, too, though with Val now in Mississippi and me here, I haven't been to one of her Turkey Gumbo parties in years. That's why this year I plan to make it myself — and you can, too. VAL'S TURKEY GUMBO (serves 6 - 10) (By the way, she insisted I tell you that this is not a hard-fast recipe. She said hers changes every year and you should feel free to omit, substitute and tinker with yours, too.) The Ever-Important Roux (makes 5 cups) 3 cups flour 2 3/4 cups vegetable oil Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the flour slowly and whisk out any lumps. It should be a little bit thinner than cake batter when the flour and oil are completely com- bined. Whisk constantly to prevent any roux from sticking and watch as it changes from a golden color to deep brown. It will take 30 to 40 minutes for the roux to be ready and you'll know when it is because it will look like melted chocolate. Gumbo Ingredients Bones and scraps from your Thanksgiving turkey 2 large yellow onions, diced 1/4 cup finely chopped garlic 3/4 cup chopped celery 1 lb chopped okra 4 lbs andouille sausage, sliced into pieces about 1/4 inch wide 2 bay leaves 1 bunch thyme 1 sprig sage 1/4 cup paprika 2 tbsp cayenne pepper 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1/4 cup hot sauce (Tabasco, Lousiana, Texas Pete, etc. — whichever you like best) Coarse salt and ground black pepper to taste *File (optional) While you're putting away your Thanksgiving leftovers and cleaning up, place the turkey, bones and scraps into a large pot and add just enough water to cover the carcass. Bring the water to boil and simmer for a few hours to make a stock. Cool and refrigerate in the pot. On Black Friday take the stock pot out and let it stand for about an hour while you make the roux, then bring it back to boil over moderate heat. Add the roux and stir to dissolve it. Add the remaining ingredients, lower the heat and simmer until thickened, about two and a half hours. Season with salt and pepper and serve over white rice, preferably with some good crusty bread on the side. You can pick the turkey bones out of the gumbo before serving or you can leave that up to your guests, your call. Some folks like file, a spicy powder made from sassafrass trees and used to thicken the gumbo, and some don't. If you aren't sure but want to try it, pour some file into a bowl on the table and allow everyone to add it for themselves. CityViewNC.com | 23

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