Turkey Recipes

Turkey Pot Pie
Makes 6 to 8 servings

For the pastry:
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into dice
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water, as needed
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water (for egg wash)

For the filling:
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups trimmed and sliced mushrooms (such as crimini, button, shiitake caps, or oyster mushrooms)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrot
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup white wine
3 cups turkey or chicken stock, hot, or more as needed
5 cups coarsely chopped or torn roast turkey, skin and bones removed
1 cup frozen peas
1/3 cup heavy cream
¼ cup chopped parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

To make the pastry, combine the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and pulse a few times until the butter and flour form crumbs. Add the ice water, a few tablespoons at a time, pulsing each time. Add as much ice water as needed until the dough is moist enough to just hold together when a clump is gently pressed between your fingers. (The dough will not form a ball in the processor.) Dump the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and shape into a flattened rectangle. Wrap tightly in the plastic wrap, and chill for at least an hour or overnight.

When you are ready to roll out the pastry, preheat the oven to 425°F. On a lightly floured board, roll the dough into a rectangle about 8 inches by 12 inches. Cut the dough into 8 equal rectangles. Transfer the rectangles to a parchment lined baking sheet, spacing apart. Brush the rectangles with some of the egg wash and prick with a fork in several places. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until set and lightly golden. Remove from the oven. (Leave the oven on for baking the finished pie.)
Combine 5 tablespoons of the butter with 5 tablespoons flour in a small bowl and mix until smooth. Set aside.

Put the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the olive oil in a large wide pot over medium-high heat. When the butter melts, add the mushrooms, onions, celery, and carrot.

Sauté, stirring as needed, until the vegetable are softened and just starting to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the thyme and garlic and sauté a few minutes more. Add the wine and boil until the wine is mostly cooked away, about 3 minutes. Add the turkey or chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Add the butter-flour paste (beurre manie), about a tablespoon at a time, whisking, until it’s completely incorporated into the sauce. Simmer, whisking occasionally, until the mixture thickens, about 8 minutes. (If sauce is too thick, add a little more stock) Stir in the turkey, peas, cream, and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pour the turkey filling into a 9x13-inch baking dish. (Note: since the pastry is pre baked, the assembled pot pie is baked in the oven for a relatively short time. Be sure the chicken filling is hot when you pour it into the baking dish. Reheat filling before pouring it into baking dish if filling has cooled.) Carefully place the crusts atop the filling. Bake until the crusts and filling are hot, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, let rest 5 minutes, and serve.

Turkey Pho with Fresh Ginger, Bok Choy, and Shiitakes
4 servings

6 ounces dried rice sticks (ie. thin rice noodles or rice vermicelli)
1½ to 2 cups shredded or thinly sliced leftover cooked turkey (or substitute cooked chicken)
2 teaspoons vegetable or peanut oil
2 small garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
5 cups leftover turkey stock (or substitute chicken stock, homemade or purchased)
2 baby bok choy (about 6 ounces), halved lengthwise, washed, cored, and thinly sliced crosswise
12 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps wiped with a damp towel, left whole if small or cut in halves if large
Kosher or sea salt

For Serving
1 small bunch basil, leaves separated from the stems
1 small bunch cilantro, separated into small sprigs
1 cup mung bean sprouts
1 serrano chile, or other small, hot chile, stemmed and thinly sliced
1 lime, cut into wedges
Chinese hot chili paste and hoisin sauce

Cook the rice sticks in a pot of boiling water until tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain. Rinse the noodles with cold water, drain again, then divide the noodles between 4 large soup bowls. Scatter the turkey over the noodles in the bowls, dividing it equally.
In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about a minute. Add the turkey stock and bring to a rapid simmer. Add the mushrooms, bring back to a simmer, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the bok choy and simmer 1 or 2 minutes more until the vegetables are tender. Season to taste with salt and remove the pan from the heat.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the vegetables from the pot, dividing them evenly among the soup bowls, then ladle the hot broth into the bowls (Note: the stock must be very hot in order to warm up the noodles and turkey. Reheat the stock if it has cooled while you were removing the vegetables.) Arrange the fresh herbs, bean sprouts, sliced chile, and lime wedges on a platter and pass along with the chili paste and hoisin sauce for everyone to add to taste to their own bowl of soup. Serve the soup with both soup spoons and chopsticks.