Turkey Redux
The first day after Thanksgiving, when the turkey is still moist and fresh, enthusiasm is high for the remains of the bird. What’s better than Wonder bread piled high with thin slices of breast meat, slathered with too much Best Foods mayonnaise, topped with a leaf of lettuce and a grind of black pepper and a sprinkle of salt?

But as the days roll by and the carcass takes a certain Saharan aspect, one more variation of “Turkey Surprise” is likely to be met with groans instead of glee. One logical alternative to this, and I don’t know why I didn’t do this sooner, is to carve the still-succulent bird into portions with a particular recipe in mind and then freeze the double-wrapped meat for use when another turkey dish will be genuinely welcome. (If you have teen-aged boys still at home, none of this applies.)

Then take the carcass, cut it into manageable sized pieces, and throw it into a stockpot with celery, onion, carrot and parsley. Pour in one box of low-sodium chicken stock and additional water to cover and simmer slowly for several hours. Let the broth cool, skim off the fat and strain out the solids. Then freeze the broth and 2 to 3 cups of choice, cubed meat and you have the basis for cream of turkey soup: an elegant first course prior to your Christmas rib roast.

My favorite turkey dish is tetrazzini and the recipe for this #8. Turkey hash makes an elegant brunch dish, especially served in individual ramekins, and topped with a poached egg.

 Turkey Hash for Two
2 cups cubed turkey
1 1/2 cups cubed cooked potato
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup mushrooms, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
3 TB minced fresh parsley
1 TB butter
1/3 cup cream
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. curry powder (optional) or 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
few grinds black pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat and add turkey, potato, onion., bell pepper, mushrooms garlic and parsley. Sauté until light brown and crisp. Transfer to individual, buttered, ramekins. Mix cream, egg, Worcestershire sauce, curry powder, paprika, salt and pepper in a bowl. Pour cream mixture over hash and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until set. Top with a poached egg.
Ford Family Favorite
Henry Haller, White House Executive Chef, published the following recipe as being the favorite of the Ford family. Doesn’t Betty seem the kind of gal who would know her way around a good casserole?
4 TB butter
2 bell peppers, julienne cut
6 TB flour
3 cups hot chicken stock
1 lb. cooked turkey, julienne cut
1/4 ham, julienne cut
1 TB minced parsley
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce		 1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1 cup milk
10 ozs. thin noodles, dry weight, cooked al dente
6 Saltine crackers or 1/4 cup bread crumbs
2 TB parmesan cheese
Preheat over to 375 degrees.
Melt butter in a saucepan, add pepper strips and cook for 5 minutes. Add flour and stir well. Add hot stock and bring to a boil. Cook for five minutes, stirring constantly, until smooth. Add turkey, ham, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Gradually add milk, stir smooth and simmer for 5 minutes. Butter a shallow casserole dish and arrange cooked noodle over the bottom. Spread turkey mixture evenly over the noodles. Top with crumbs and cheese and bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned on top.
Courtesy of:
Real Estate & Living
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