3 New Favorites for Turkey Leftovers.

Back in December I bought a turkey to save for New Year's Day dinner.  It was a glorious roasted bird with all the trimmings.

It was also a large bird--far too large for the two of us.  However, I carved it up, repurposed two Panda Express trays, packing them full of turkey & froze them for later.  That left me with a 3rd tray full of meat in the fridge for immediate use.  That first tray became . . .

#1 Turkey Tikka Masala

Original recipe taken from NYT Cooking

Yield: roughly 6-8 servings

Ingredients

For the marinade:

• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 4 teaspoons ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon  salt
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed with blade of knife, peeled & finely chopped
• 4 teaspoons ginger (I used some finely chopped & some powder)
• 1 cup whole-milk yogurt
• about 4 cups cooked turkey, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

For the masala:

• 4 tablespoons neutral-tasting oil
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons ginger
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed with blade of knife, peeled & finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup whole milk, maybe a bit more if you want the sauce thinner
• Steamed basmati rice, for serving

Preparation

1. Make the marinade: In a medium bowl, stir together garam masala, coriander, cumin, paprika, turmeric, salt, garlic, ginger and yogurt. Fold in the turkey. Cover and chill for 4 hours or overnight.
2. Make the masala: On the stove top, heat a Dutch oven or similar pot over medium-high heat.   I have a nice, large, deep frying pan that I love for this sort of thing.  Add 3 tablespoons neutral oil, then add onion, cardamom, bay leaf, paprika, pepper flakes (if using), garam masala and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are brown and tender, 10 to 15 minutes, adjusting temperature as needed so the onion doesn’t burn.
3. Combine ginger & garlic with the spiced onions. Stir in tomato paste, tomatoes and their juices. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, until the liquid is almost gone, 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Add milke to thin the mixture. Adjust seasoning as needed. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, about 40 minutes. Discard bay leaf.
5. In the meantime, line a baking sheet with foil, turn on oven broiler, and arrange an oven rack about 6 inches from broiling unit. Lay the marinated turkey on the foil in a single layer. Stir any remaining marinade into the sauce. Broil until turkey begins to blacken in spots, 6 to 8 minutes--make sure you scorch it a bit, that's where the flavor is.  Set aside.
   
6. Use a hand-held blender (or blender) to purée the sauce (until it is smooth and sexy, according to my husband), then add turkey and return the sauce to a simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until just warmed through.
7.  Serve hot, with steamed basmati rice. Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.
   

I didn't end up freezing any of this, but it did serve us for at least 2 dinners (with heaping servings) and one lunch.  Frankly, it was better the second day when the spices had a chance to meld and mature. 

#2 Turkey Silog

This is another recipe taken from NYT Cooking.  It's billed as garlic fried rice with gravy & eggs.  It is kind of a turkey loco moco with the most heavenly garlic rice you have ever eaten.  NYT Cooking--you have won my heart!

Yield: 2 servings (with lots of lovely, left-over rice)

Ingredients

• ½ cup oil (I used olive oil), plus more as needed
• 8 to 12 garlic cloves, to taste, peeled and ends trimmed
•  salt
• 8 cups (about) day-old cooked white rice
• 1 to 1 ½ cups leftover gravy
• 2 servings leftover turkey or ham
• 4 eggs

Preparation

1. Make the garlic fried rice: Heat a large nonstick pan (I used my cast iron) over a medium-low flame, then add the oil and garlic cloves. Season the cloves with a pinch of salt. Cook, turning the cloves occasionally, until they are brown and soft, 12 to 14 minutes.
2. Remove half the oil and half the garlic cloves from the pan and set aside in a ramekin. Using the back of a wooden spoon, smash the remaining garlic in the pan, there should be some delicious, soft chunks left. Before the smashed garlic turns golden, crank up the heat, add half the rice and spread to cover the surface of the pan. It will pop and sizzle — that’s good. Let sit for 30 seconds-a minute, then toss and mix the rice in the pan.  Salt and repeat.  When the rice is as crispy as you'd like it, transfer to a serving dish. Lightly cover with foil.
3. Repeat the process with the reserved garlic cloves, some of the oil, and the remaining rice.
4. Warm the gravy in a small saucepan over low heat on a backburner, stirring occasionally.
5. When the rice is done & in the serving dish, add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan & return to heat. When the oil starts to smoke slightly, gently lay the meat in pan and sear until golden brown on both sides--I had think slices, so this took about 5 minutes per side. (You may need to do this in batches, adding oil as needed.) As each slice was finished, I temporarily added it to the covered dish with the rice.  When all the turkey was browned, I de-glazed the pan with 1/2 cup of dry vermouth (any dry white will do) & added the fond to the gravy.
   
6.  As I put the last batch of turkey into the cast iron I poached my eggs.  The original recipe says to fry them, but I wanted to do them all at once.  I did not bother to season the turkey slices or the eggs, since they were about to be smothered in gravy, which was salty enough.  
7.  To serve: place a few scoops of garlic fried rice on each plate--use a large plate or a deep bowl. Layer seared turkey slices on top of the rice.  Top each serving with an egg (or 2)& gravy.  If you have cranberry sauce, put that on top too--the tangy sweetness is the perfect complement to all the savory goodness of the garlic & the gravy. I made roasted carrots to go along side it, but peas or brussel sprouts would also be good.
   

#3 Turkey Potpie

(pic)