Turn your cooktop burner to its highest setting. Place the large white onion halves cut side down directly onto the burner until they develop a deep char. Flip the onion and char the opposite side as well. This will add a lovely smokiness to your stock.

In a large stock pot, pour in 7-8 cups of water. Add the charred onion halves from Step 1, smoked turkey wings or leg, whole corn ear, split carrots, split celery, bay leaves, fresh herb sprigs, diced garlic, kosher salt, and black pepper. Bring everything to a boil, skimming off any foam that surfaces, then reduce to a simmer. Let it simmer gently for at least 2 hours; for an even richer flavor, I sometimes simmer mine for up to 24 hours.

Once the stock has finished simmering, let it cool slightly. Strain the stock into a large bowl, discarding the vegetables, herbs, and corn. Remove the smoked turkey pieces, pull the meat from the bones, and set the meat aside for later use. Chill the strained stock in the refrigerator overnight to intensify the flavors and let any fat rise to the top.

Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and season it with half of the smoked sweet paprika. Saute, stirring often, until the onions are tender and fragrant. Charring the onion earlier really deepens the flavor base, but in this step, the sautéed onions will add a gentle sweetness.

To the sautéed onions, add 4-5 cups of the homemade turkey stock from Step 3 (or low-sodium chicken broth if needed), followed by the crushed red pepper flakes, chopped collard greens, apple cider vinegar, molasses, and the smoked turkey meat reserved from Step 3. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer uncovered for about an hour. About halfway through, stir in the remaining smoked sweet paprika. I like to taste and adjust seasoning at the end—sometimes a pinch of extra salt or paprika really brightens the greens.