Turkey Demi-Glace
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Firing up the stove
The Thanksgiving carcass turned into liquid gold: roasted turkey bones simmered all day into a deep brown stock, reduced to a glossy demi-glace, then finished with a red wine reduction and mounted with cold butter. A restaurant-style sauce for the turkey breast, rich enough to replace gravy.
Why It Works
Roasting the bones and vegetables hard builds deep Maillard flavor and color, and the ketchup adds sugar and acid that caramelize like tomato paste. A long, gentle simmer pulls gelatin from the bones; reducing it concentrates that gelatin into a sauce with body and shine without flour. Cold butter whisked in off the heat forms an emulsion that turns the demi silky and rounds out the wine.
Notes
Make ahead: the demi-glace keeps a week refrigerated or months frozen in ice cube trays; finish with wine and butter just before serving. Salt only at the very end, since reduction concentrates any salt. If you're smoking the legs and thighs, add those bones to the stock for a smoky edge. Leftover plain stock goes into the turkey wild rice soup.
RECIPE CARD
Turkey Demi-Glace
Yield: About 1½ cups finished sauce (1–2 cups demi-glace base) | Time: 8–10 hours (mostly unattended), best started a day ahead
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Ingredients
Roasted bones
- 1 turkey carcass, broken into pieces, plus neck, wing tips and leg bones
- 2 onions, roughly chopped
- 2 carrots, roughly chopped
- 2 celery ribs, roughly chopped
- 2–3 Tbsp ketchup
Stock
- 1 cup water or a splash of dry red wine, for deglazing
- 4–5 quarts cold water
- Bouquet garni: a few sprigs thyme, 1 sprig rosemary, 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp black peppercorns
Red wine finish
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 garlic clove, smashed
- 1 sprig thyme
- 1 cup turkey demi-glace (from above)
- 2–3 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cubed
- Kosher salt, fresh black pepper, or a pinch of Creole seasoning
Instructions
Step 1: Roast the carcass and aromatics
- Heat the oven to 450°F.
- Break the carcass into pieces that fit your roasting pan and stockpot. Add the neck, wing tips and any leg bones.
- Spread the bones in a large roasting pan and roast 30 minutes, until they start to brown.
- Add the onions, carrots and celery. Squeeze the ketchup over the bones and vegetables and toss lightly; it browns like tomato paste but adds a smoother, balanced sweetness.
- Roast 20–30 minutes more, until the bones are deeply browned and the vegetables caramelized.
Step 2: Simmer the stock
- Move the bones and vegetables to a large stockpot.
- Set the roasting pan over medium heat, add 1 cup water or a splash of red wine, and scrape up all the browned bits. Pour it into the pot.
- Cover the bones with 4–5 quarts cold water and add the bouquet garni. Bring just to a boil, then immediately lower to a bare simmer.
- Simmer uncovered or partly covered 6–8 hours (overnight is even better), skimming foam and fat now and then. Never let it boil hard or the stock turns cloudy and greasy.
Step 3: Strain and reduce to demi-glace
- Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot and discard the solids.
- Let settle a few minutes and skim the fat. Better yet, chill overnight and lift off the solid fat cap.
- Simmer the stock steadily over medium heat, skimming occasionally, until it is thick, glossy, syrupy and coats the back of a spoon. Several quarts should reduce to 1–2 cups. Once cooled it will set firm like gelatin.
Step 4: Red wine reduction and butter finish
- In a saucier, simmer the red wine with the shallot, garlic and thyme until reduced by three-quarters, to about ¼ cup.
- Strain out the solids, whisk in 1 cup demi-glace and simmer 2 minutes.
- Take the pan off the heat or set it on the lowest flame. Whisk in the cold butter a few cubes at a time, swirling constantly, until it melts into a thick, velvety sauce (monter au beurre). Don't let it boil again or it will break.
- Season with salt and pepper, or a pinch of Creole seasoning for gentle warmth. Spoon over sliced turkey breast.
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Schossow Kitchen · schossowkitchen.com
