Turkey Dumpling Stew

Well, the big day is over. I am sure we will all eat enough leftover turkey over the next few days to insure we won't touch it again until next Thanksgiving. We had a very busy day, taking family pictures and preparing for our annual holiday boutique, but it was great and we all had a good time.

My crazy brother

I think it is funny how Thanksgiving is absolutely a traditional holiday. Nobody wants to try anything new or different (around here, anyway) and nobody really likes variations on the traditional. Example: I made cornbread stuffing this year, from my grandmothers absolutely delicious recipe , and while it was perfectly wonderful, flavorful, etc, everybody said they prefer the usual. I even made it the same way that I usually do, with sausage, apples, and dried cranberries. Oh well, c'est la vie, right?
There will be plenty of other occasions where I can experiment to my heart's desire. Whether they are traditional holidays or simply gatherings between friends. I am going to have to start incorporating my sister's boyfriend into these gatherings. That boy hasn't tried anything!

I wanted to post an article about this turkey stew. I absolutely love this stew, because it is innovative, delicious, and uses my leftover turkey parts perfectly. Not only does it use leftover turkey, but it also uses other items you may have laying around: green beans, carrots, celery, onions, mixed herbs, buttermilk, and pumpkin puree. If you don't have any of these items, simply take them out and swap them if you wish.
Also, if you already threw out your turkey carcass, you can build a very flavorful base with the turkey stock recipe and the addition of chicken bouillon.

Turkey Dumpling Stew
1 leftover roasted turkey carcass, plus 3 to 4 cups shredded turkey meat
1 onion, quartered
2 stalks celery, quartered crosswise (save the leaves for the dumplings)
1 lb carrots, (3 quartered crosswise; thinly sliced)

1 bay leaf
3 sprigs parsley
3 sprigs thyme

Dumpling Dough (recipe below)

4 Tbsp. butter
1 shallot bulb, minced
1/4 cup flour
1/2 to 1 cup of leftover pumpkin puree
salt and freshly ground pepper
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 lb green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
shredded cheddar cheese for serving

Make the stock: Pull the turkey carcass apart into smaller pieces, set the meat aside. Put the bones in a large, deep pot and add cold water to cover, 4 to 5 quarts. Add the onion, celery, the 3 quartered carrots and the bay leaf. Tie the parsley and thyme together with twine and add to the pot, then cover and bring to s a simmer over medium heat. Uncover, reduce the heat to medium low and cook 3 to 4 hours. Remove the bones and vegetables with a skimmer and discard, then strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer. Return the stock to the pot and simmer over medium-high heat until reduced by half, 30-40 minutes (you will have about 8 cups of stock).
About 45 minutes before serving, prepare the dumplings. Keep covered with plastic wrap while you make the stew.

Dumplings
3 cups flour
3/4 cup minced mixed fresh herbs and celery leaves
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper
6 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cups cold buttermilk

Whisk the flour, herb mixture, baking powder, baking soda, salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until sandy. Stir in buttermilk.
Turn out onto a floured piece of parchment paper. Pat into a 3/4-inch rectangle. Cut the dough into rough 2-inch squares with a large knife. Cover with plastic wrap.
Make the stew: Melt the butter in a large, wide pot over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Gradually add the stock, stirring, and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper and add the pumpkin. Add the sliced carrots, cover and cook 5 minutes.
Stir in the turkey meat, lemon juice and green beans. Add the dumplings in a single layer (leave as squares or pat into rounds). Cover and simmer until the dumplings are cooked through, about 20 minutes. Ladle into bowls; top with grated cheese.

Pumpkin Pie

I absolutely love this weather! I am so glad a chill has settled in the evenings to usher in the week of Thanksgiving. Traditionally, this week, for me, is filled with baking and preparing treats and prepping food for the big day.
Also, two years ago this week our little baby was born the day after Thanksgiving, five weeks early. I love these heavy clouds, promising rain and cooler weather, which means I get to heat up the house with the oven!

I was thinking through the recipes I have posted here and one Thanksgiving Day treat is nowhere to be found, and that is pumpkin pie. I know a lot of people just use the recipe off the back of the can of pumpkin, but in case you long for something different, I wanted to include this recipe. I have had people comment that it is the best pumpkin pie they have had, and I believe it is one of the best. I can say this because it came from one of my favorite cookbooks, with a few minor alterations. The custard filling is perfect, and if you are up to making pie crust, try my recipe here. I always make the crust a day or two early, and then just mix up the filling on Tuesday or Wednesday. I never bake pies the day of, because I don't want the extra work. I am always of the mind to do what I can early, if possible.
I wouldn't use the flesh of carving pumpkins that I have cooked down, since they are not the same breed of pumpkin you would use to make a custard filling for a pie. If you can find the breed of cooking pumpkins, go right ahead, but I have yet to find anyone that even knows what I am talking about. Sugar pumpkins, custard pumpkins, and other small breeds are much better than the large, stringy pumpkins that are bred for carving and fall decor.

I will post a picture after I make mine this week.

Pumpkin Pie

1 disc pie crust (1/2 a recipe) homemade or store bought

Preheat oven to 350. Roll out pie crust and place in the bottom of a 9-inch pie dish. Prick the bottom and bake blind (with weights if necessary) for 17 minutes. Remove from oven and raise heat to 425. Position the rack in the lower third of the oven.

For the filling:
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
2 eggs
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla

1 egg, plus 1 Tablespoon water, beaten together

Stir together the sugar, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and nutmeg in a small bowl. Set aside.
Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Add the pumpkin, cream, vanilla, and the sugar and spice mixture. Stir well.
Fill the shell with the prepare mixture and decorate the edge with leaves and/or pumpkins cut from the remaining pie crust. Bake a small sheet along side with anything you would like to put on the center, to add after the pie is fully cooked. (Otherwise it will sink...trust me).
Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven to 350 and bake until the pie is set in the center 40 to 50 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Peanut Brittle

One thing that I would say I cannot make is candy. My mom is an excellent candy maker and she makes dozens of different types of candies, including knock-offs of popular items like twix bars, altoid mints, etc. I tried to make peanut brittle a couple of years ago. It was nasty. The first batch tasted like baking soda, and the second batch I burned.
I guess I am not very persistent when it comes to food. If I make something twice and it doesn't turn out it usually ends up on the back burner (figuratively). I may return to it later, but I usually don't keep trying. I don't like wasting food and I don't like eating things that didn't turn out so that sort of puts me in an awkward spot.

So, recently, I had a change of heart and decided to try peanut brittle again. It turned out perfect. I made another batch. This too, was perfect. I made a third batch. I burned it. Ah, well....what can you do?

This peanut brittle recipe was from my mother, who, in turn, got it from her mother. I made a few alterations (doubled the salt, reduced the peanuts, and rewrote the recipe so I could better follow it) and voila-there you have it.
Also, you can use this recipe to make any single nut brittle, or combine leftover raw nuts you have on hand to create your own mixture. Feel free to sprinkle chocolate chips on the top after the brittle has cooled for just a minute or two, and spread them around. You can top with chopped nuts or dried fruits, coconut, etc. You get the idea.

Peanut Brittle

2 cups sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups blanched raw peanuts
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda

Spray one large or two medium size baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray.
In a large pot heat sugar, corn syrup, and water over medium high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring. Add nuts and salt and continue to cook until mixture reaches 300 degrees (hard-crack stage). This will take about 15 minutes, so be patient and keep stirring to keep the peanuts from burning. (Once it begins to brown test it in a cup of ice water until it reaches the hard-crack stage). Remove from heat and add the butter, baking soda, and vanilla, vigorously whisking while adding. Be sure to thoroughly mix.

Pour mixture onto prepared baking sheet(s). After it cools, lift off of pan and break into pieces. Store in an airtight container. Tightly stored brittle will keep for at least one month.

Note: for candy making, neither me nor my mom use a thermometer (gasp!) If you have a cup of ice water sitting next to the stove, and a small spoon to fish out the test results, you can have consistent results with candy. Simply drizzle a bit of the hot mixture into the ice water and fish it out as soon as it has cooled. Try it. Brittle is ready when it is brittle, or in the 'hard-crack' stage.