continuing from November 24th...
Two of my favorite recipes are Turkey Tetrazzini and Turkey Pot Pie.
TURKEY TETRAZZINI
(named for Luisa Tetrazzini, a famous coloratura of the early 20th century. Apparently, she liked to eat well.)
Butter a shallow baking dish. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cook and drain 1 pound of thin spaghetti
Heat 1 cup of milk. Heat 1 cup of chicken bouillon.
Dice 2 - 3 cups of cooked turkey
Measure out 1/4 cup of dry sherry, then pour some for the cook.
In a saucepan, melt 1/2 cup of butter, then stir in 1/2 cup of flour. Add hot milk and bouillon, and cook, stirring, until sauce is smooth and thickened. Blend in 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, 1/8 teaspoon of ground nutmeg and the sherry. Stir in 3/4 cup of heavy cream. Remove from heat.
You can either saute 1/2 pound of sliced mushrooms in a little butter or just grab a couple of small cans of mushrooms (or leave it out altogether, if you don't like 'shrooms). Mix the mushrooms with half of the sauce; mix that with the cooked spaghetti and pour into your baking dish. Make a well in the middle of the spaghetti; mix the remaining half of the sauce with the diced turkey, and pour this into the well. Sprinkle the whole with grated Parmesan, and bake for about 20 minutes.
-----------------------------------------------------------
TURKEY POT PIE
Either make your own pastry (for a two-crust pie), or buy it already made. Line your chosen pie dish (round or square) with part of the pastry. Reserve the remaining pastry for the top crust.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Heat 1-3/4 cups of chicken or turkey broth. Heat 2/3 cup of milk.
Cut up 2 cups of cooked turkey. Chop 1 small onion to make 1/3 cup.
This is the basic recipe. Mine is always creative, as it depends on what I have on hand and how much. Also, I start with the drippings from my bird, so the flavor and color of the sauce is always dependent on the herbs and wine that I used for basting. You can do the same by saving and refrigerating the drippings in a plastic container. The fat will rise to the top and congeal; you can use that in place of the butter in this recipe. The clear jellied part of the drippings (beneath the fat), mixed with hot water to make 1-3/4 cups, can substitute for the canned broth.
In a saucepan, melt 1/3 cup of butter over low heat; blend in 1/3 cup of flour, the chopped onion (sweet, pungent, leeks, whatever you have), 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper (black, white, or red: I've tried them all). Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly.
Stir in broth and milk. (There is never any leftover gravy here: mashed potatoes get a goodly amount, and Hot Turkey Sandwiches get the rest, but if you have leftover gravy, you can add it to the sauce) Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in cut-up turkey and some vegetables: a small package or about 1/3 of a large bag of frozen peas and carrots or mixed vegetables, or 2-3 cups of cut up fresh vegetables, if you have any.
Pour mixture into pastry-lined pan. (I usually sprinkle 1 teaspoon of celery seed over the top). Place top crust over filling; roll edges under and flute. Cut slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until crust is browned. If you don't want your fluted edges to overcook, cover the edges with strips of aluminum foil; remove strips 15 minutes before pie is done.
