Leftover Turkey? Try a Hot Brown!

Alan was first introduced to the awesomeness that is the Hot Brown at a local restaurant this summer.  He's been plotting to make our own with leftover Thanksgiving Turkey ever since.  The concept is simple, and with quality components, it's a delicious and different way to eat up the rest of the bird.

I made the bread myself, but with a recipe that I unfortunately don't have permission to post.  If you come over, I'll show you how to make it :).  It's really good stuff, and several of you have had the pleasure of eating it.  Otherwise, I'd recommend a thickly sliced crusty sourdough.  No pansy squishy white bread for this - it just won't do.

Alan's other fantastic discovery this year is "Slow and Low" bacon.  He put the bacon in the oven at 220 degrees and let it cook for about 4 hours.  The result is chewy and rich, evenly cooked, and again, deliciously different.  His top secret addition is to sprinkle a little bit of brown sugar on about an hour from the end of baking time.

These are called Hot Browns in reference to the gravy you pour over the top.  I am personally not a fan of browned turkey gravy (this is managed by browning the roux before adding the broth in, and in my experience it's a little tricky to walk the balance between browned and burned).  I leave mine light colored.  Therefore I suppose these should really be called a Hot Cream?  Not quite as nice of a ring to it.  We'll stick with the original title.

I recommend eating this with a hearty scoop of mashed potatoes so that you can liberally douse the sandwiches and the potatoes with your gravy, and a generous spoonful of cranberry sauce on the side to balance the flavors.

Hot Brown Sandwiches

12 thick (3/4") slices of a sturdy sourdough bread
12 thick (1/4") slices of roasted turkey breast
1 package of bacon
2 T. brown sugar
12 slices provolone cheese
1 - 2 cups turkey gravy

Cook the bacon according to your preference.  I recommend baking it on a cooling rack placed in a foil lined pan.  Clean up is easy - simply let the grease set up a bit as the pan cools, and wrap it all up in the foil and throw it away.  If you're impatient, bake it at 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes, until it is to the desired crispness.  Sprinkle the brown sugar on for the last 5 minutes of baking.  If you're patient and plan far enough ahead, lay the bacon out as indicated above and bake at 220 for about 4 hours, sprinkling the sugar on at about 3 hours.

Toast the bread under the broiler, flip it over and toast the other side.  Assemble the sandwiches by layering turkey, bacon and provolone cheese on top.  Return to the broiler for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.  Serve immediately with a side of mashed potatoes, a thorough dousing of warm turkey gravy, and a scoop of homemade cranberry sauce.

(This is an excellent meal to feed to a crowd.  We made three trays of these at once to feed 20 people the day after Thanksgiving.  Everyone left with full tummies and I heard no complaints from even the pickier eaters.)

Perfect Turkey

I mean it. This is a 100% fool proof recipe. I have posted this before, a long time ago, lumped in with several other recipes in one post, but this is one that I get asked for frequently enough that it warrants it's own real post with pictures. Plus, I've learned a thing or two over the years after making it several dozen times. One of my versions of this was published in Taste of Home a few months ago, which resulted in a mildly unnerving phone call from a guy on the East Coast that had some questions about how to prepare it, and just wanted to let me know that he was making my recipe. TOH publishes first and last name as well as home town with each recipe, which I never saw as problematic before that phone call. Now it has honestly made me think twice about submitting more recipes. I'm sure he was just a nice old fella, but that was just a bit over the line. Anyway, on with the recipe.

First, select a nice bone in turkey breast. Boneless turkey breasts are just plain weird. They take all the meat hunks and press them into a lump and wrap mesh around it. Not terribly appetizing - take my word for it. I can fit up to an 8 pound breast in my 6 quart oval crock pot, though that is definitely pushing the limit. You'll definitely be safe with one around 7 pounds. Thaw it, either by putting it in the fridge a couple days in advance, or if you're like me and you decide that you've got a hankering for turkey dinner that morning, pull it out of the freezer and let it sit in a sink full of hot water for a couple hours. That size of a bird actually thaws relatively quickly. Remove the nasty gravy packet from the chest cavity and throw it away, then rinse the bird off and stick it in the crock pot, breast side down.

I used to remove the skin before cooking. It's a horrid job, and I've lately found that it slips off quite easily after cooking, plus lends better flavor to the broth if you leave it on. Since I hate to handle raw meat, I now leave it on.

Next, tuck 5-6 cloves of garlic in and around the breast, grind some freshly ground pepper over it all and sprinkle a generous pinch of kosher salt. Tuck 4-5 sprigs of fresh rosemary in and around (you can use dried as well, but the flavor of fresh is really worth it), and last of all a tablespoon of brown sugar. For more savory flavor, you can toss a peeled whole shallot into the cavity.

Put the lid on. If you're like me and tend to choose bustier turkey bosoms than your crock pot can handle, you might wind up with a gap between the lid and the pot. Like this one. There was a centimeter gap. So I simply placed a towel over the lid, followed by a layer of tin foil, and then pulled out some old sacks of beans that have been pressed into service for this very thing a number of times, and weighted the lid down. Works like a charm, but I wouldn't push it any farther than I did.

Set it to cook on low for 8 hours or high for 6. Walk away and let the pot do it's magic. When the cook time is up, pull the breast out and flip it upside down on a plate. Tent it loosely with foil and let the juices settle for at least 10 minutes before pulling the meat off. Usually, the meat literally just falls off the bones in two neat breasty hunks, which are super easy to slice for serving.

Now it's time to make gravy. Easy stuff, I promise. I slurp all of the juices out of the pot with a turkey baster and pour them into a pyrex cup. I usually get around 2 cups. (Notice that I did not have to add any water to the pot to achieve this - it's pure turkey magic.) Melt 2 T. of butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, then whisk in 2 T. flour until it forms a thick paste. Slowly whisk in the turkey juices, bit by bit, making sure that you incorporate the flour well and smoothly. Once all the juices have been added, correct the seasoning as needed with a little more pepper (I have never needed to add more salt) and let simmer for 2-3 minutes. Done!

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This is such moist and tender turkey that you may never cook a full bird again. I have hosted Thanksgiving before with only this kind of turkey. I lined up three pots in the garage, and voila! Not only did I have perfect turkey that everyone swooned over, but I also didn't have it competing for oven space.

Random recipes from my weekend

January is so cold and dreary that I just had to make something springy last weekend. I love fresh salsas of any kind, and the options of how to serve it are limitless. This one was great in a tortilla with grilled chicken strips, shredded cheese and sour cream.

Super Fabuloso Southwest Salsa

2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1 medium avocado, diced
1 medium mango, diced
1 small can of corn, drained (I prefer Del Monte brand)
1 cup of black beans, drained and rinsed
3 T. minced cilantro
juice of one lime
salt to taste
dash of garlic powder
dash of chipotle chili powder

Don't skip the chipotle chili powder! It's seriously one of my favorite spices. It's got a lovely smokey flavor and more kick to it than regular chili powder, and I use it all the time in my mexican cooking. If you wanted to kick up the heat in this, you could certainly add a minced jalapeno or annaheim pepper. I avoided onions or shallots (my preference), because I find that if you don't eat it right away or have some leftovers the onion flavor can get overpowering.

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For Sunday dinner, I did a turkey breast, caramelized roasted yams, and nutty broccoli and bacon with homemade rolls on the side. All of these are pretty simple and full of flavor.

Crockpot Turkey Breast

6 1/2-7 1/2 pound bone in turkey breast, thawed
2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary (or 1 t. dried)
4 cloves of garlic, peeled
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2-3 T. butter, optional
2 T. brown sugar

Place the turkey, breast side down, into an oval 6 quart crock pot. You may remove the skin beforehand, but I have found after making it both ways that this is unnecessary and that the skin comes off very easily once cooked. Toss in the garlic, rosemary, sprinkle a bit of salt and a few grinds of pepper over it. Cut the butter into pieces and distribute evenly around the turkey. Sprinkle the brown sugar on top. Put the lid on, set for either 6 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high and walk away. Bask in the wonderful aroma and avoid the temptation to open the lid.

Once it's done cooking, remove the turkey to a plate or cutting board, flip it over, and loosely tent with foil for 10-15 minutes while the juices settle. Use a turkey baster to suck out the juices from the pot. Usually there's about 2 cups. Melt a couple tablespoons of butter in a saucepan or large skillet, stir in 2 T. of flour, then slowly whisk in the pan juices and simmer until the gravy is the desired consistency. Correct the seasoning with salt and pepper as needed, and add a bit of water if needed to thin it. Serve immediately.

Caramelized Roasted Yams

3 large yams, peeled and cut into steak fry sized chunks
3 T. butter
3 T. brown sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon
dash of cloves and allspice

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and spray a jelly roll pan with PAM. Melt the butter in a medium size bowl and stir in the spices and sugar. Add the yam chunks and stir until evenly coated. Spread out onto the baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 35-45 minutes, stirring 2-3 times, until yams are cooked through and caramelized.

Nutty Broccoli and Bacon

3 cups bite size broccoli florets
1/4 cup bacon bits
1/4 cup salted cashews
salt, pepper

Steam broccoli either on the stovetop or microwave for 4-5 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Meanwhile, in a small non-stick skillet, saute the bacon bits until warm and crispy, then stir in the cashews and cook for one minute more. Drain the broccoli thoroughly and pour into a serving bowl. Stir the bacon and cashews in. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Whole Wheat Honey Rolls

2 T. active dry yeast
2 c. warm buttermilk (today I substituted buttermilk powder and warm water)
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup honey
1 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
3 cups whole wheat flour (I used hard white wheat)
2 - 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Dissolve yeast in warm buttermilk. Buttermilk will appear curdled when heated to 110-115 degrees. If you elect to use buttermilk powder, dissolve the yeast in the same amount of warm water, then add the buttermilk powder in with the flour. Add butter, honey, salt, baking soda and whole wheat flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough all purpose flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about one hour.

Punch dough down. On a lightly greased surface, divide into 4 equal parts. Divide each part into 6 equal portions and shape each into a ball. Place on a greased 15 x 10 pan, spaced equally. Let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-16 minutes, or until golden brown. Delicious served warm with honey butter. Yields 24 rolls.

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Just a reminder to the other people posting to add labels to your post. This enables people to click on categories listed on the sidebar to quickly find the desired recipe.

On this the day of Turkey and Thanksgiving, I'd just like to take a blogging moment to express my gratitude for food. I love food. I look cooking food. I love eating food. I love sharing food. Food is full of memories. I love my mom's apple cider. . .it reminds me of Halloween nights. Goulash reminds me of my grandma's kitchen on Saturday mornings when we'd all gather around for haircuts. Chocolate covered cinnamon bears are representative of busy days at the flower shop. On the flip-side, I haven't eaten a Frito since Thanksgiving of 2003. We had a run-in with a bout of the stomach flu & I've never been the same.

So, my friend, Heidi has called for some leftover turkey recipes. In the spirit of the holiday, I'd like to share one I spotted on the Rachel Ray Show yesterday while Kimmy & I were waiting for Studio 5 taping. It's called Thanksgiving Stromboli & it looks quite tasty.

Ingredients

• 1 tube refrigerated pizza dough, recommended brand Pillsbury
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or cornmeal
• 1 cup leftover cranberry sauce
• 3 cups leftover turkey, shredded
• 2 cups leftover stuffing
• 2 cups aged white cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO. . .one of the things I dislike about R.R.)
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 2 cups leftover gravy

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Yields: 4 servings

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Preparation

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Break open the tube of dough and remove it from container. Dust your hands and lightly cover your work surface with flour or cornmeal. Roll or stretch the dough out slightly then cut it lengthwise and across to make four sections.

Spread a spoonful of cranberry sauce across one section on a diagonal.

Layer the turkey and stuffing down the middle of the dough going from one corner to the opposite corner in a diagonal line. Cover the turkey and stuffing with the cheddar. (Be careful not to overstuff the stromboli or they won't wrap up!)

Tuck the two corner edges over the filling -- you should have turkey mixture running down the middle with some filling exposed at each end.

Brush with EVOO then sprinkle the sesame seeds on top and pat them into the dough. Place onto a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, until evenly golden. Serve with leftover hot gravy alongside.

What to do with leftover turkey...

I'm already anticipating the good leftovers from tomorrow. I like to find interesting ways to use leftover turkey so that it's not just like eating Thanksgiving dinner over and over and over again. Here's a recipe I got from one of Alan's coworkers a couple of years ago. It's a very different taste for a chicken or turkey salad (you can use either), and one that I enjoy a couple times a year.

Curry Turkey Salad with Toasted Coconut

3 lbs cooked and diced turkey breast
2 cups mayonnaise
1 cup apricot preserves (orange marmalade can also be used)
2 stalks celery, medium diced
1/2 cup coconut, toasted*
1/2 cup crushed walnuts or pecans
2 dozen red seedless grapes, halved
1/2 cup raisins or craisins
2 T. curry powder

In a large bowl, mix the mayo, preserves and curry powder together until well blended. Stir in the rest of the ingredients until everything is coated thoroughly. Refrigerate one hour, then serve. This works well as a filling for croissants, wraps or pitas.

*To toast the coconut, heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat for a few minutes then add the coconut. Cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until the coconut just begins to turn golden.

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What do the rest of you do with your turkey?