Turkey Pot Pie #2

12/4/11: Building off the #1 version from 2009...

Filling

• 2 tbsp turkey fat (or butter)* (see info at start)
• 3/4 c. frozen boiler onions, defrosted, or 1 small onion, minced
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, diced
• 3 tbsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 potatoes, peeled and cubed (about same size as carrots, celery and boiler onions)
• 1 1/2 c. cubed cooked turkey
• 2 tbsp turkey fat (or butter)
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 c. milk & 2c. turkey/chicken stock (or use half-and-half)
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 3/4c. frozen green peas, defrosted

Preheat oven to 425F.

Add butter to skillet. Cook onion, carrot, celery + spices together for about 2 minutes over high heat. Add potatoes, and cook for 10 minutes. (You are basically "par-cooking" here; remember, the thing is going to bake in the oven!)

In separate pot, make roux from turkey fat + flour, cook for 1 min. Add milk, cook till thickened. Stir turkey and cream sauce into vegetables, and heat for 2 minutes. Mixture should be like a cream of mushroom/clam chowder thickness. If too thick, add more milk/cream; if too thin, let it cook down a few minutes. NOW ADD GREEN PEAS.

Let cool to room temp.

Roll out crust, put in pie pan OR into little ramekins.

Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, reduce heat, then cook at 350 for 20 more minutes (about 35 minutes total).

Let cool for 10 min, then serve.

Pastry Crust (makes single shell/top crust only)

• 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) crisco/shortening/lard, chilled
• 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) butter, chilled
• 6 ounces (approximately 1 cup) all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling dough
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1/4 cup ice water, in spritz bottle
• Approximately 32 ounces of dried beans, for blind baking

Place butter and lard in freezer for 30 minutes. When ready to use, remove and cut both into small pieces.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour and salt by pulsing 3 to 4 times.
Add butter and pulse 5 to 6 times until texture looks mealy.
Add lard and pulse another 3 to 4 times. Remove lid of food processor and spritz surface of mixture thoroughly with water.
Replace lid and pulse 5 times. Add more water and pulse again until mixture holds together when squeezed.
Place mixture in large zip-top bag, squeeze together until it forms a ball, and then press into a rounded disk and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

(Results? I seem to recall that this was tasty, now that I'm posting this on 11/21/2012...)

tday salad overdrive

What is it?

• Baby lettuces
• bacon wrapped, blue cheese stuffed dates, reheated and chopped into quarters
• Point Reyes blue cheese, crumbled
  
• Basil oil
• Fig tangerine balsamic sauce
• sherry vinegar
• leftover teriyaki chicken thigh, chopped, could b turkey

delish and not a new scrap! T day leftovers except salad greens

Turkey Pot Pie

Thanksgiving leftover cooking attempt #1:

A great exercise in re-use. Thanksgiving evening, after the clean up, I roasted the turkey bones with some celery, onion, and carrots at 450 for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then into a bug stock pot, cover with cold water, add bay leaves, bring to a boil and simmer for 2.5 hours. Remove bones, strain back into stockpot and simmer overnight, reducing by 50% or so. Turkey stock!

Also separated fat (a HUGE amount of fat from turkey + rosemary butter rub) from gravy, stored fat in freezer.

So here, instead of chicken stock I use turkey stock, and instead of butter I use leftover fat!


Filling

• 2 tbsp turkey fat (or butter)* (see info at start)
• 3/4 c. frozen boiler onions, defrosted, or 1 small onion, minced
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, diced
• 3 tbsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 c. turkey stock* (OR 2 cups chicken stock, see notes)
  
• 3 potatoes, peeled and cubed (about same size as carrots, celery and boiler onions)
  
• 1 1/2 c. cubed cooked turkey
• 2 tbsp turkey fat (or butter)
  
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 c. milk (or 1/2 c. half-and-half)
• 3/4c. frozen green peas, defrosted

Preheat oven to 425F.

Add butter to skillet. Cook onion, carrot, celery + spices together for about 2 minutes over high heat. Add potatoes, and cook for 10 minutes. (You are basically "par-cooking" here; remember, the thing is going to bake in the oven!)

In separate pot, make roux from turkey fat + flour, cook for 1 min. Add milk, cook till thickened. Stir turkey and cream sauce into vegetables, and heat for 2 minutes. Mixture should be like a cream of mushroom/clam chowder thickness. If too thick, add more milk/cream; if too thin, let it cook down a few minutes. NOW ADD GREEN PEAS.

Let cool to room temp.

Roll out crust, put in pie pan OR into little ramekins.

Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, reduce heat, then cook at 350 for 20 more minutes (about 35 minutes total).

Let cool for 10 min, then serve.



Pastry Crust (makes single shell/top crust only)

• 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) crisco/shortening/lard, chilled
• 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) butter, chilled
• 6 ounces (approximately 1 cup) all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling dough
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1/4 cup ice water, in spritz bottle
• Approximately 32 ounces of dried beans, for blind baking

Place butter and lard in freezer for 30 minutes. When ready to use, remove and cut both into small pieces.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour and salt by pulsing 3 to 4 times.

Add butter and pulse 5 to 6 times until texture looks mealy.

Add lard and pulse another 3 to 4 times. Remove lid of food processor and spritz surface of mixture thoroughly with water.

Replace lid and pulse 5 times. Add more water and pulse again until mixture holds together when squeezed.

Place mixture in large zip-top bag, squeeze together until it forms a ball, and then press into a rounded disk and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Results:

• Totally delicious!
• Needed more liquid: try 2 cups milk, half-and-half, or cream. You can always cook it down. It should be a little runny, as the veg is going to absorb liquid as it bakes.
  
• Definitely save green peas for the end, and don't cook all veg too long before going in the pie. Remember, it's gonna bake in the oven.
  

gettin turkey ready

preparations are being made for thanksgiving. then the question of "what do I do with leftovers" inevitably arises. Here are a few ideas:

1. Turkey pot pie
2. Turkey soup/stock
3. Tortilla soup with corn and turkey
4. Crepes with turkey
5. Mashed potato cakes with creamy mushroom sauce
6. German dumplings (made with leftover mashers), turkey and gravy.
7. Homemade wide pasta noodles with brussels sprouts.
8. Turkey enchiladas
   
9. "Pulled turkey" tacos in red chile sauce
10. Turkey tamales in red chile sauce
    
11. Plum tart (not related, but I've got plums in the fridge)
    

There was one more but I forgot.

We bought a 23 lb. bird last night at Costco, Foster Farms, .89c per lb. We will have our biggest Thanksgiving group here so far (6 people). I hope the bird defrosts in time!