Poultry

BRAISED TURKEY THIGHS WITH PEANUT SAUCE 

Ingredients for 8 servings:

4 pounds bone-in turkey thighs

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup diced onion

3 medium carrots, sliced (1 cup)

1/2 fennel bulb (also called anise), thinly sliced

2 inner stalks celery, thinly sliced

3 ginger slices the size of a quarter

3 tablespoons peanut butter

2 1/2 cups dry white wine

bouquet garni: 1 bay leaf, 1sprig fresh thyme,1 stem tarragon, 1 sprig parsley

1/2 cup whipping cream

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Heat a cast-iron roasting pan over medium heat 1 1/2 hours before serving time. Saute the turkey thighs in hot butter and oil in a 5 quart cast-iron casserole. Lift out the meat and saute the onion, carrot, fennel and celery pieces as well as ginger root slices slowly for 5 minutes.

Return the turkey to the pot, skin side down; pour on the wine and bring to a simmer. Add the bouquet garni, cover and cook for 40 minutes. Turn the meat over and simmer another 30 minutes. Internal temperature should be at 165 degrees.

Lift the turkey to a warm plate and cover. Strain the pan juices, skim off excess fat and reduce to 3 cups. Remove bouquet and puree the vegetables. Return the vegetables to the juices. Stir in the peanut butter and the whipping cream. Reduce the sauce further if you want a thicker consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle peanut sauce onto warm plates and overlap turkey breast slices on it. Serve with Skillet Cornbread and Roasted Root Vegetables.

TURKEY-STUFFED ACORN SQUASH

Ingredients for 6 servings;

3 medium acorn squash

2 tablespoons Canola oil

1 cup yellow onion, diced

1 cup green bell pepper, diced

2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

kernels from 2 ears of fresh corn

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon powdered sage

1/4 teaspoon mild chile powder

1 pound ground turkey meat

• Squash: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a sheet of aluminum foil on a sheet pan. Halve the squash horizontally, scrape out and discard the seeds and stringy bits. Place the squash halves cut side on the foil and bake for 30 minutes, until the squash can be easily pierced. Remove and let the squash  cool.  Turn the oven to 375 degrees.

• Heat the oil in a skillet and saute the onion and pepper pieces until the onions wilt.  Add the tomatoes and cook another three minutes over medium low heat. Remove vegetables to a bowl to cool. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Saute a small amount of this stuffing in the skillet and adjust seasonings, to taste.

• Turn over the squash over and set on the foil; trim the bottoms as needed for stability. Divide the stuffing among the squash. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the meat is lightly browned.

   

• Serve immediately.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

2 tablespoons Canola oil

4 small turkey thighs

1/2 cup water

1 1/4 pound butternut squash

1 cup fresh cranberries

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Heat the oil in a heavy casserole. Brown the turkey thighs in the hot fat. Remove them and drain off the fat. Return the meat to the pan, add the water and bring it to a simmer. Cover the casserole, place it in the oven and cook for two hours.

• Wipe clean the squash, leave the skin intact and cut it into generous one inch cubes. Add the squash to casserole and cook another 30 minutes. Rinse and pick over the berries, remove the casserole from the oven and add them. Return the pot to the oven for 15 minutes.

• Drain the accumulated liquids from the pan. Skim off the fat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the turkey thighs with a square of polenta, spoon on pan juices and garnish with squash and berries.

HERB, MARINATED, AND GRILLED CORNISH GAME HENS

WITH POLENTA

Ingredients for 6 servings:

3 – cornish game hens

Marinade: 2 bay leaves, crushed

2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped

1 teaspoon rosemary leaves, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

Polenta: 3 cups water

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup cornmeal

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese

Directions:

Butterflying:   With heavy shears, cut out the backbone of the birds.  Trim off the two end joints of the wings.  (Reserve these pieces for Quick Broth.)  Turn the hens over, skin-side up and cut through the wishbone at the neck.  Cut two slits in the skin on either side of the breastbone at its base and insert the ends of the drumsticks.  The game birds are now flat and compact.

Sprinkle a glass container just large enough to hold the flattened birds with half of the marinade.  Lay the chicken skin-side up on this marinade. Sprinkle remaining seasonings over the skin side.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, weighted by a 5 pound pan if possible.

Grilling:  Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to white hot.  Place  a oblong aluminum roasting pan  that is slightly larger than the butterflied birds on a lower rack to one side on the grill.  Fill it with 1” water.   Remove the hens from the refrigerator one hour before cooking.  Dry and remove marinade.  Lightly coat with olive oil.

Start grilling the hens skin-side down over the water-filled pan with the grill on high.  Cover and roast for 15 minutes.  Turn the birds, turn the grill down to medium heat, cover, and cook another 15 minutes.   If the birds are not browned with clear juices when tested , turn them over, this time removing them away from the water-filled pan, directly over the grill.  Grill uncovered for 5 minutes on each side over high heat until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees and juices run clear.

Polenta:  While the hens are grilling, bring the water and salt to a boil in a saucepan.  Pour in the cornmeal slowly, stirring constantly to avoid lumping.  Cook and continue stirring until the mixture becomes thick, about 3 minutes.  Off the heat stir in the butter and cheese.  Pour polenta into a 2 quart pan 11"x7" baking dish.   Set polenta aside to cool and solidify.

Serving: Remove the hens to a platter to cool for 5-10 minutes.  Cut the polenta into 8 squares.  Lightly oil the squares and grill the pieces lightly on both sides.  Se Halve the hens and serve pieces over a square of grilled polenta.  Spoon pan juices over the birds.