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Every year my wife “vulture-izes” (as my mom calls it) the turkey carcass. Every little bit of meat is scraped clean and either eaten during this process or saved aside for future use. With these scavenged bones, wings and legs, I make a hearty homemade turkey broth. This broth makes the perfect base to make turkey ramen! (Now, when I say ramen, I’m not talking about authentic Japanese ramen. So all you ramen purists out there, keep that in mind.)

Making the broth is one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving now. The morning after the big feast I gather all the ingredients and start brewing. The fumes waft through the house all day as it simmers. All of the fat and flavor from the bones oozing into the pot. A pleasant warm reminder that something delicious is in our near future. It’s the best!

Sometimes I use the Thanksgiving leftovers to make a noodle casserole, or even croquettes (korokke), but the highlight for me is always making the broth. I’ve been making the broth since I was in college. It was always for some classic turkey noodle soup. Some years I added beer to it, sometimes apples, sometimes apple cider. But over the years I’ve tweaked and refined it and finally I think I have it right.

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