Turkey in White Wine Sauce
Being a baker, braising wasn’t something I did a lot of. I also didn’t cook a lot of meat or poultry. Actually, I didn’t cook much at home as I ate most of my meals on the fly when working in restaurants. (I was also going to say that when I lived in California, I tended to grill as much as I could on my patio but someone sent me a rather pointed message to stop talking about living in California…so I guess I should work on that.) It wasn’t until I came to France, which has a plethora of butchers and volaillers (poultry sellers), that I started branching out from my usual fall-back meals from when I was a professional baker and line cook in San Francisco (if that woman is reading this…sorry!), which included chips & salsa, bbq from Flint’s in Oakland, or a burger at The Smokehouse.
Another thing that happened when I no longer had to work in the evening was that I began to have people over for dinner. But I’ve learned in France not to make something that needs to be served at a precise time. That’s because it’s considered impolite to arrive on time. If you do, you’ll surprise your hosts which I did recently when I was invited to someone’s place for dinner who I didn’t know. I arrived 15 minutes after the time I was told, and I was the only one there, except for the host, who was surprised to see my standing in his doorway. And it was a somewhat uncomfortable twenty minutes I spent making small talk, and watching him put the last-minute preparations on things while I just stood there like a dope. Oops.
I’ve had guests arrive very late at my place for dinner, even 45 minutes to an hour late. Braising takes the stress out of entertaining. Most of us don’t need anything else to worry about, aside from what time your guests are going to show up. (Or if one that you don’t know will show up early.) But extra time in the oven won’t hurt braises. In fact, it usually improves them.
No matter what the ingredients, when braising you can taste along the way and add a little more salt or adjust with some pepper. If the sauce is reducing too quickly, you can add another dash of wine or stock.
When I used to do Thanksgiving dinner here, there was always a lot of drama trying to get a whole bird. People in France don’t eat turkey with the same zeal as they eat it in the States. But the fermier (free-range) turkeys in France are excellent. With the small oven that I had, and nebulous dining times, I found it easier to braise the turkey rather than roast it whole. And since no one in France seems to want the white meat, why not just get turkey legs and thighs, and make everybody happy? Except les américians, who are known for our love of the white meat. (And I count myself amongst those, although I like the dark meat, too.)
You don’t have to wait for November to serve turkey and since it’s a lighter meal, I sometimes make it at other times of the year. One hefty leg and thigh portion is enough for a meal at home with leftovers, which is just the kinda thing I like; leftovers the next day for lunch. Romain loves wild rice and I had a bag I brought back from the States and made it, which makes something as ordinaire as turkey, something special. A little bacon in the mix didn’t hurt either.
Turkey in White Wine Sauce
- 1 turkey thigh and leg, separated if necessary (so they fit in the pot), or 3 to 4 turkey legs (about 4-pounds, 2kg)
- kosher or sea salt
- freshly-ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more if necessary
- 5 ounces (160g) diced bacon, (about 1 cup)
- 3 small shallots, or 1 small onion, minced (about 1/3 cup)
- 2 cups (500ml) dry white wine
- 3 cups (.70l) low-sodium chicken stock or water
- 10 branches fresh thyme, plus 1 1/2 teaspoons minced thyme for sauteeing the mushrooms)
- 4 tablespoons (55g) unsalted butter
- 1 pound (450g) mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- generous handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- fresh lemon juice
- Rub the turkey leg and thigh (or legs) with a fairly generous amount of salt and pepper. If you can do this and let the turkey parts sit overnight in the refrigerator, they'll be a lot more delicious.
- To cook the turkey, heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the turkey to the pot to brown them. It's best to put them in the pot in a single layer and not move them until they're well-browned on one side. Once browned, turn them over to brown the other sides. Don't rush this step as browning the turkey gives it additional flavor. It may take up to 15 to 20 minutes.
- Remove the turkey and place the pieces in a bowl. Drain any excess fat from the pot, then add the bacon, and stir until it's just cooked, about a minute. (French bacon isn't fatty but if your bacon throws off a lot of fat, you can drain that off as well.) Add the shallots and stir for another minute or two, until they're translucent.
- Add the wine to the pot and cook, scraping the bottom of the pot to release any delicious browned bits. Then add the turkey pieces, the water or stock, and the branches of thyme. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 1 1/4 hours, turning the turkey over a few times during cooking, so they cook evenly.
- Turn off the heat and remove the turkey pieces to a bowl or plate. When cool enough to handle, pull the meat off the bones and return it to the liquid in the pot. Bring the mixture back to a simmer and let it cook to reduce the sauce until it's thicker, richer in color, and in flavor.
- While the sauce is reducing, in a separate wide skillet, melt the butter over high heat. Add the mushrooms, season with a little salt and pepper, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until they are about three-quarters of the way cooked through. Add the garlic and minced thyme, and continue to cook until the mushrooms are browned and completely cooked through. Turn off the heat and add chopped parsley and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
- When the sauce is reduced to your liking, scrape the mushrooms and any liquid into the pot with the turkey. Taste, and season with additional salt and pepper, and serve.
Notes
