Good Morning.
Thanksgiving is America's national chow down feast, the one occasion each year when gluttony becomes a patriotic duty.
A guy named Michael Dresser said that, not I. I don't believe in plagiarism, but I do believe in leftovers and the best ones
are with turkey. Herewith four recipes:
Turkey Shepherd's Pie
6 large potatoes, peeled, boiled, and mashed with unsalted butter and a little Half and Half
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 medium white onion, chopped
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cups leftover turkey
1 cup white button mushrooms, wiped clean with a little oil and sliced
1/2 cup peas, cooked and please use frozen, not canned
Good pinch of thyme
1 tbsp. flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp. tomato paste
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
In a large skillet, saute the sliced carrots and chopped onion until barely tender. Add the sliced mushrooms and continue cooking for three or four minutes. Add the leftover turkey, peas, thyme, flour, broth, tomato paste, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Combine well and put this lovely mixture in a lasagna pan sprayed with cooking spray. Spread the mashed potatoes on top and sprinkle with cheddar. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes until the cheese is golden.
This is serious comfort food. If you cannot abide peas, omit them, but they're a traditional ingredient in this dish, usually made with lamb or beef. Scoop a big serving of this delight onto a plate, add a salad, and a crisp, white wine or maybe a mug of something the pilgrims might have brewed up behind the barn. They weren't teetotalers and they kicked off their clunky old shoes from time to time. My father's ancestor, Peregrine White, once appeared before a judge for engaging in marriage before marriage. I have no idea how much time he did in the stocks, but he went on to formally wed the young woman in question and produce seven children before he put his shoes back on. He finally joined the local church at the age of eighty-three and died shortly thereafter.
A Better Open Faced Turkey Sandwich
6 slices good white bread
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 cups leftover turkey
Grated sharp cheddar
12 slices bacon, cooked crisp, drained, and crumbled
In a skillet, saute the sliced mushrooms in the butter. Add the parsley and keep on very low heat.
For the sauce:
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
1 cup cold whole milk
1/2 cup sharp cheddar
Kosher salt and a dash of cayenne pepper
Make a roux with the butter and flour in another skillet. Cook for a couple of minutes to get rid of the flour taste. Gradually add the milk, whisking as you go. When the sauce is thickened, stir in the cheese and a sprinkle of salt and cayenne. While
the sauce is cooking, place the six slices of bread on a cookie sheet and broil until golden brown. Do not turn and broil the other side. To assemble, place some turkey on the unbroiled side of the bread, top with the mushroom and parsley mixture, then the sauce, and finish off with the cheddar. Pop the sandwiches back under the broiler for a few minutes but watch carefully. The cheese should be melted but not approaching a burned state. When done, top each serving with the crumbled bacon, and garnish with more freshly chopped parsley if desired.
You could add a slice of tomato underneath the sauce but unless you like to grill a turkey in August, it won't be a summer tomato from the garden. Use sliced Roma or grape tomatoes as a passable substitute.
Turkey Divan
2 cups leftover turkey
1 box asparagus spears, cooked to a still bright green, not longer
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 soup can mayonnaise
1 tbsp. lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 heaping tablespoon curry powder
Parmesan cheese from the can
Sliced almonds
In a mixing bowl, combine the soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice, a titch of salt and pepper, and the curry. In a shallow baking pan sprayed with cooking spray, line up the asparagus spears. Top with turkey, then the sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan and
sliced almonds. Bake, covered, for 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Uncover and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes. Serve
over long grain white rice, or a wild rice mix.
This is a variation on the chicken dish with the broccoli. I like it with a tossed salad and crescent rolls but you probably had your fill of crescent rolls on Thanksgiving, so I'd go with garlic bread or even some kind of muffin. This dish doesn't have
to do dinner exclusively. Try it for lunch on Saturday with a chilled Rose. Take a nap afterward under a soft throw or a quilt.
Nothing better.
Shrimp and Turkey Penne with Mustard Wine Sauce
2 strips bacon
18 raw large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cups leftover turkey
1 box penne, cooked according to package directions and drained
6 oz. unsalted butter
1 tsp. minced shallots
Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Drain and crumble. To the bacon drippings, add butter, shallots, and shrimp. Cook until shrimp are evenly pink, only three or four minutes. Add turkey and mix thoroughly. Remove all of this to a large bowl and set aside. In another skillet combine:
2 tsp. butter
2 tsp. chopped garlic
1 tsp. chopped freshly rosemary
Saute until the garlic just begins to brown. Add 1 cup Marsala wine and reduce by one-third. Now add:
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
Dash of kosher salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
8 cups heavy cream
Simmer until the sauce thickens. To the large bowl with the shrimp and turkey, add the pasta. Add the sauce and mix well. Place in a great big casserole, top with Parmesan and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 350 degrees for half an hour.
This rich pasta dish combines several of my favorite ingredients: shrimp, bacon, pasta, butter, cream, and wine. Turkey is an afterthought. I'd forget the white wine for this dish even though purists would disagree. I'd get a Pinot Noir or a Beaujolais.
I like this Macron guy who's running the show in France right now, so I'd opt for a French, even though we're dealing
with leftovers from the quintessential American holiday. I'm not a nationalist.
Best regards,
Elisabeth
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