Recipe: Simmer the turkey bones into a rich stock for Vietnamese pho

(Boston Globe): Turkey bones beg to be made into a rich, flavorful stock and then you have to show it off in a soup that depends on beautiful broth. Use cooked poultry bones and ideally, add a fresh turkey neck or wing to the pot (or use chicken wings and backs) to make this pho. Real Vietnamese pho, of course, is not made with turkey broth, but this recipe is a home version of the classic. Let rice noodles soften in boiling water (that only takes a couple of minutes), then transfer them to the broth, add shredded turkey, and layer on all the garnishes you like — fresh cilantro, scallions, Thai basil, if you can find it, or regular basil, slices of jalapeno, which may offer enough heat, or Sriracha if you want more, lime juice, and fresh bean sprouts. It’s a delicious and welcome bowl after a holiday meal.

STOCK

½ bunch scallions
3 quarts water
1 piece (1 inch) fresh ginger
2 quarts turkey bones, necks, wing pinions, or chicken wings and backs
1½ teaspoons salt
1. Halve the scallions where the dark green meets the light green. Set the light green ends aside for the soup. In a soup pot, combine the scallions, water, ginger, turkey bones or chicken wings or bones, and salt. Bring to a boil, skim the surface of the liquid thoroughly and lower the heat. Cover the pot and simmer, skimming once or twice, for 1 hour. (If you’re using mostly uncooked bones, simmer for 1 1/2 hours.)

2. Set a strainer over another pot. Tip the stock into it. Use tongs to remove the turkey or chicken bones. Pull off any meat from the bones and return it to the stock.

SOUP

4 ounces dried rice vermicelli or rice sticks
3 cups shredded cooked turkey
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 bunch fresh cilantro, half coarsely chopped
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
1 bunch fresh Thai or regular basil
1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
1 lime, cut into wedges
¼ cup Sriracha
1. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Turn off the heat. Add the vermicelli or rice sticks and let them sit for 2 minutes, or until not quite tender (they will cook briefly later).

2. Drain the noodles into a colander. With scissors, snip them several times. Tip them into the stock. Add the cooked turkey and brown sugar. Turn the heat to medium and let the soup come to a simmer. Simmer for 2 minutes to reheat the turkey.

3. Meanwhile, thinly sliced the light green and white parts of the scallions. Add half the scallions to the soup with the chopped cilantro. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with the remaining cilantro, bean sprouts, basil, jalapeno, lime, and Sriracha.

Sheryl Julian