Eye for a Recipe

I know you’re focused on the holiday feast today, but keep this recipe in mind for later on in the week when you are looking for delicious ways to use up the leftover turkey. Cook bacon, mushrooms and onion, add spices, flour, stock and leftover turkey, pour into a baking dish and top with a simple all-butter piecrust. Comfort food at its best.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Your butter should contain only one ingredient – cream. Look for nitrite-free bacon and a preservative-free stock such as Imagine Organic brand. I used a low-sulfite wine instead of Marsala and Eden Organic  brand red wine vinegar instead of sherry vinegar.

Ingredients:

All-butter piecrust

1 ¼  cups (150 g) all-purpose flour

¼  (1.25 ml) teaspoon fine sea salt

10  tablespoons (150 ml) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes

2 to 4  tablespoons (30 to 60 ml) ice water, as needed

Turkey filling

1  tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil

1  garlic clove, peeled and smashed

6  ounces bacon (170 g) or pancetta, preferably thick-cut, sliced into strips

1  medium onion, chopped

8  ounces (226 g) mushrooms, such as button or cremini, thickly sliced

¼  cup (60 ml) all-purpose flour

1  teaspoon (5 ml) dried thyme

½  teaspoon (2.5 ml) paprika

Salt and ground black pepper

1 pound (454 g) cooked turkey, cut into bite-size pieces

2  tablespoons (30 ml) butter

2 ½  cups (625 ml) rich chicken stock

¼  cup (60 ml) Marsala, Madeira or sherry

1  tablespoon (15 ml) sherry vinegar

2  tablespoons (30 ml) finely chopped parsley, more for garnish

1  9-inch (23-cm) pie crust, chilled

1  egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) water

Preparation:

All-butter piecrust

In a food processor, pulse together the flour and salt. Add butter and pulse until the mixture forms lima bean-size pieces. Slowly add ice water, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) at a time, and pulse until the dough just comes together. It should be moist, but not wet.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gather into a ball. Flatten into a disk with the heel of your hand. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.

Turkey filling

Heat oil and garlic together over low heat. When it sizzles, add bacon and onions and cook, stirring often, until fat is rendered and bacon is golden brown. Adjust the heat so the bacon slowly gives up its fat. Remove garlic clove and add mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until mushrooms are browned and slightly softened.

Combine flour, thyme, paprika, 2 large pinches salt and 1 large pinch pepper.

In the skillet with the bacon and mushrooms, add butter and melt over medium heat. Add flour mixture. Cook, stirring, until flour on the bottom of the pan is browned. Pour in stock, Marsala and vinegar. Scrape bottom of pan, and let simmer about 5 minutes, until thickened. Taste for salt, pepper and vinegar and adjust the seasonings. Stir in cooked turkey meat and heat through. Turn off heat and stir in parsley.

Heat oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).

Transfer turkey and sauce to 9-inch (23-cm) round pie dish or 8-inch (20-cm) square baking dish. Roll out pie crust to desired shape and size. Drape crust over filling, making a few slits or decorative holes on top. Tuck edges down around filling and brush crust with egg wash. If the dish is piled high with filling, place on a baking sheet to catch any overflow before transferring to oven.

Bake until crust is browned and filling is bubbling, 20 to 30 minutes.

Let cool slightly, at least 10 minutes, before serving with a big spoon. If desired, garnish each serving with parsley. Serves 6.

Adapted from the New York Times