The Local newsletter is your free, daily guide to life in Colorado. For locals, by locals. Sign up today!
Thanksgiving has come and gone…now what to do with all the leftovers? Since one can only eat so many turkey-and-stuffing sandwiches, we were intrigued by a recipe for turkey pho from chef Graham Mitchell from the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts in Boulder. Mitchell recommends using the leftover turkey carcass to make a stock, and then adding shredded turkey meat, spices, rice noodles, fresh basil and cilantro, and sliced jalapeños. In short, a little extra effort and creativity can yield a dish—in this case, a Vietnamese-style one—that no longer a rehashes the same flavors.
Other options: Follow chef Wylie Dufresne‘s lead and turn leftovers into a breakfast hash, or make Bon Appétit‘s Thanksgiving nachos.
That's only $1 per issue!
Turkey Pho
(serves 6)
Turkey Stock
1 turkey carcass, broken into pieces
2 cups yellow onions, medium dice
1 cup carrots, medium dice
1 cup, celery, medium dice
6 garlic cloves
2 bay leaves
5 quarts water
Simmer all ingredients for 2 hours.
Pho Broth
1 yellow onion, halved and charred on a grill
1/2 ounce ginger root, unpeeled and charred on a grill
1 gallon turkey broth
2 tablespoons fish sauce (3 Crab is Mitchell’s preferred brand)
1/2 ounce palm sugar (if available, otherwise use cane sugar)
2 cloves
2 black cardamom pods
Char the skins of the onion and ginger until they soften lightly and become fragrant. Remove any charred portions. Add all ingredients in a stock pot and gently simmer for 45 minutes.
Pho Assembly
1 pound thin rice noodles, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes
leftover turkey, shredded or chopped
1 onion, julienned
4 green onions, sliced thinly
2 cups bean sprouts
10 Thai basil sprigs
10 mint sprigs
10 cilantro sprigs
2 jalapeños, sliced thinly
2 limes, cut into 6 wedges
To enjoy this dish, keep broth simmering while preparing the bowls. With a strainer, dip noodles into hot broth to soften. To individual bowls, add noodles, turkey, sliced onion, and green onion. Ladle broth into each bowl. Serve with a communal plate of sprouts, Thai basil, mint, cilantro, jalapeños, and lime.
Follow food editor Amanda M. Faison on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.
