Isn’t it ironic that we can gorge ourselves on turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and green bean casserole on one day, then groan at the sight of perfectly good leftovers the next?
I happen to enjoy Thanksgiving leftovers (at least for the first couple days post Turkey Day), especially since there are so many ways you can breathe new life into them. For example, you can easily turn your leftover turkey into another delectable meal by using the carcass to make stock, then adding extra celery, onions, carrots and dark and white meat to create hearty Turkey Soup.
Another way to use up leftover turkey is to make Turkey Pot Pie. One of the best tasting Turkey Pot Pies I’ve ever had the pleasure of devouring came from Gourmet Magazine. It requires a bit of work, but the end result is absolutely divine.
CLASSIC TURKEY POT PIE
Ingredients for Stock:
Carcass and skin from a 12- to 14-pound roast turkey
10 cups water
Ingredients for Filling:
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 large carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 celery ribs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large parsnip (peeled), cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon chopped thyme
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 pound mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups roast turkey meat, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 (10-ounce) package frozen baby peas, thawed
Ingredients for Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup coarsely grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/4 cups well-shaken buttermilk
Directions:
For Stock:
Separate parts of carcass and place in an 8-quart pot. Cover bones with water and simmer until liquid is reduced by one third, about 1 1/2 hours. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. Set aside 3 1/2 cups stock (reserve remainder for another use).
For Filling:
Cook onion, carrots, celery, parsnip, and thyme in butter with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a 12-inch-wide shallow pot (3- to 4-quart), covered, over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are almost tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, uncovered, stirring, until tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
Sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Stir in stock (3 1/2 cups), scraping up any brown bits, and bring to a boil, stirring, then simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in turkey, peas, and salt and pepper to taste. Reheat over low heat just before topping with biscuit crust.
For Crust:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper into a medium bowl. Add cheeses and toss to coat. Blend in butter with a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk and stir just until a dough forms. Drop biscuit dough onto filling in 8 large mounds, leaving spaces between biscuits.
Bake until biscuits are puffed and golden brown and filling is bubbling, 35 to 40 minutes.
Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
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