If the day after Thanksgiving is your favorite food day of the year, then Justin Devillier, of La Petite Grocery in New Orleans, is your kind of chef. “Although leftovers ‘as is’ are good, turning them into another celebratory meal keeps the holiday eat fest going at my house,” he says.
On Thanksgiving night, the chef covers the carved turkey carcass with water, and as the family party winds down, the roasted bones simmer away, forming a rich stock. The next morning, he adds aromatics and andouille, and stirs in a nice dark roux. “I like mine as dark as I can get it without burning it,” he says.
Once assembled, the gumbo cooks slowly, letting the sliced andouille contribute its spiciness to the thickening stock. “Serve it with rice or potato salad or my Thanksgiving favorite, a scoop of cornbread dressing,” Devillier says. “And don’t mind the bones. Just pick the meat off and eat around them.
