Turkey Tom Ka Gai

Tom Ka Gai is a Thai soup which is traditionally made of coconut milk, galanghal, lemongrass and ginger.  This is my twist on it using turkey instead of chicken.   Serves 2 250g of cooked turkey 100g of rice noodles 400ml of coconut milk 350ml of chicken stock Juice of 1 lime 1 large thumb-sized piece of ginger 1 red chilli, finely chopped 6 spring onions, finely sliced 1 stalk of lemongrass, finely chopped 3 kaffir lime leaves 1 teaspoon of soft brown sugar Handful of fresh coriander leaves   Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the packet, drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.   Pour the stock and coconut milk into a medium sized pot and bring to a steady simmer.   Add in the lime leaves, ginger, chilli, brown sugar and simmer gently for 10 minutes.   Add in the cooked turkey and stir through until heated through.   Divide the noodles amongst four bowls, pour in the hot soup and garnish with springs onions and coriander.    

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Mega Turkey and Brie, Cranberry Chutney, Grilled Sambos

You can't beat a grilled cheese sandwich, except at Christmas! Make this with leftover turkey, brie and cranberry relish and you will have on your hands the ultimate leftover sandwich!   Serves 2 4 slices of white batch bread 150g of leftover turkey 100g of brie, sliced 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons of cranberry chutney 4 tablespoons of butter   Butter one side of each slice of bread.   Place the two buttered sides together and then spread the top slice with dijon mustard, add a few slices of brie and a little shredded leftover turkey.   Spoon over a little cranberry chutney.   Heat a little oil in a frying pan over a medium high heat and then add the filled slice of bread to the pan and place the other slice butter side up on top.   Fry for 2-3 minutes either side until golden brown and the cheese has melted. Repeat with the other sandwich.   Slice in half and serve straight away.    

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Boned and Rolled Maple and Orange Glazed Turkey with Apple and Smoked Bacon Stuffing

Not your traditional Turkey but an absolute must for any of those with a fear of carving. By removing the bones and rolling the meat with the stuffing, it becomes easy to slice. Your butcher will happily bone and roll the turkey for you, just be sure to bring the prepared stuffing with you and they can pop it in for you, tie it up tight and send you home with a perfect little packet.  I love the combination of maple, orange, smoked bacon and apple, but you can easily adapt this with your own favourite flavours.   Serves 8-10 4.5kg boned and rolled Turkey 50g of soft butter 75ml of maple syrup Juice of one orange Sea salt and ground black pepper For the stuffing: 30g of butter 150g of smoked streaky bacon 1 medium onion, finely chopped 250g of breadcrumbs 400g of cooking apples, peeled cored and chopped into small cubes Zest of one orange   To prepare the stuffing melt the butter in a large frying pan over a medium high heat and when it begins to foam add in the streaky bacon and fry for 3-4 minutes. Add in the onions and fry for a further 4-6 minutes until soft.   Add in the apple and fry for a further 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir through the bread crumbs. orange zest and season with sea salt and ground black pepper. Allow to cool before covering and storing in the fridge until you are ready to use it.   Once you've brought your stuffing down to the butcher and he has stuffed and rolled the turkey, place it in a large roasting tray and rub with the butter. Season generously with sea salt and ground black pepper.   Preheat the oven to 190˚C. Roast the turkey until a meat thermometer reads 150˚F for approximately 2 1/2 hours. If the skin is looking too brown, just cover with tin foil. Whisk together the orange juice and maple syrup and pour a little over the bird every now and then to baste.   Save half the mix to add to the gravy. Remove the turkey from the oven and brush with maple syrup and place back in the oven until a meat thermometer reads 160˚F about 20 minutes more. Place the bird on a chopping board with deep grooves and cover with tin foil.   Scrape the juices from the bottom of the roasting tin into a small sauce pan along with the remaining maple syrup and orange juice and bring to a steady simmer until it reduces a little.   Sliced up the bird and serve with the hot gravy.  

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Move over ham- It’s Turkey Time!

One of the things I have learned in my discovery of food so far is that, people who are passionate about good quality ingredients are more than enthusiastic about expressing this passion and filling you up with information.  Gerry McEvoy, who runs his farm of 800 free range bronze turkey's is absolutely no different.  We were introduced via the magic of twitter last week when I tweeted asking whether anyone knew of a turkey farmer.  Within a matter of hours the meeting was set and the following day I was all set to head up to the farm to see all those turkeys!

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