As I sit here reeling from the debauchery that was Thanksgiving dinner, I am wondering if "tryptophan" (the chemical that is supposedly in turkey which causes that sleepy feeling) even exists. I doubt any scientist can provide a vial of tryptophan, much less even sketch its chemical make up. Okay, I am off topic already. Must focus — must be all that tryptophan.
This is a quick and to the point article on things to do with leftover turkey. The recipes are written as a quick overview — some traditional, some new. It should get you through the week following Thanksgiving (because I guarantee that many of you still have leftover turkey hanging out in the fridge). Grab that turkey carcass and some surgical gloves and let's get started.
De-meating the bird: You can do this with or without gloves. Make sure your hands are very clean, as this is crucial to making the turkey last for the rest of the week. Dirty hands will deposit bacteria on the turkey meat and have it spoil several days before you can use it all. I personally like to use latex or nitrile gloves. Simply get a big freezer bag and pick as much meat as you can off the carcass. Put the meat in the bag and refrigerate. At the very least, your bag-o-turkey will be an excellent TV-watching snack. If you have stuffing in the bird, try to get as much as you can out of it, and set aside (the stuffing in the carcass is always the tastiest).
This article appears in Nov 25 – Dec 1, 2010.