Free-Range Turkey Veloute, Celery Root Gnocchi, Crispy Turkey Skin Chip, Carrot, Cippolini Onion, Cranberry Beans, Celery, Pea Shoots
This wouldn't be much of a blog about cooking if I didn't take time to honor the one Holiday focused almost completely on eating. But like most other posts on here I couldn't go the standard route. I couldn't just roast a turkey, make some sides and throw it on a plate. Not that I won't be doing this very thing today. It just doesn't make for good blogging. So this is my contribution to Thanksgiving. The one day a year that we all gorge ourselves on food and booze giving thanks for not being poor and starving.
I made the veloute by roasting turkey bones in the oven before adding them to a pot containing turkey stock, celery, onions, garlic, leeks, black pepper, bay leaf, star anise, juniper berry, celery root and some sherry vinegar. I cooked all of this on low heat for about 3 hours extracting as much flavor as possible. I then strained out all of the solids and returned the stock to the stove and reduced it for another hour at high heat. While the stock reduced I whipped together some soft butter and flour into a paste. Was the stock was reduced to my liking I added the paste and whisked for 20 minutes to make a velvety smooth soup, or "veloute".
I seasoned the chicken skin with salt and pepper and placed it between two baking sheets. I roasted it in the oven at 375 degrees for an hour. This process results in a thick crunchy turkey skin chip.
The gnocchi is Parisian style made by whisking flour into hot milk and butter followed by eggs. I also added a puree of celery root to mine to mimic the flavor of stuffing. This concoction is called a "pate a choux" or "choux pastry". The pastry was cooled and then placed into a piping bag. It was squeezed out of the bag over a pot of boiling salted water and cut into pieces with a knife as it came out. I boiled the gnocchi for a couple of minutes and then strained them. I finished them by pan frying them in butter to brown them.
The cranberry beans, carrots and onions were all cooked in turkey stock and apple cider. The beans were cooked first for 3 hours. I added the onions and carrots after this and cooked them for a few minutes. I finished the dish with some pea shoots, celery leaves and some of the fat drippings from the turkey skin.
Product:
Organic Cranberry Beans - Culton Organics
Organic Bleached Celery - Culton Organics
Celery Root - Blooming Glen
Organic Cippolini Onions - Culton Organics
Organic Pea Shoots - Queen's Farm
I made the veloute by roasting turkey bones in the oven before adding them to a pot containing turkey stock, celery, onions, garlic, leeks, black pepper, bay leaf, star anise, juniper berry, celery root and some sherry vinegar. I cooked all of this on low heat for about 3 hours extracting as much flavor as possible. I then strained out all of the solids and returned the stock to the stove and reduced it for another hour at high heat. While the stock reduced I whipped together some soft butter and flour into a paste. Was the stock was reduced to my liking I added the paste and whisked for 20 minutes to make a velvety smooth soup, or "veloute".
I seasoned the chicken skin with salt and pepper and placed it between two baking sheets. I roasted it in the oven at 375 degrees for an hour. This process results in a thick crunchy turkey skin chip.
The gnocchi is Parisian style made by whisking flour into hot milk and butter followed by eggs. I also added a puree of celery root to mine to mimic the flavor of stuffing. This concoction is called a "pate a choux" or "choux pastry". The pastry was cooled and then placed into a piping bag. It was squeezed out of the bag over a pot of boiling salted water and cut into pieces with a knife as it came out. I boiled the gnocchi for a couple of minutes and then strained them. I finished them by pan frying them in butter to brown them.
The cranberry beans, carrots and onions were all cooked in turkey stock and apple cider. The beans were cooked first for 3 hours. I added the onions and carrots after this and cooked them for a few minutes. I finished the dish with some pea shoots, celery leaves and some of the fat drippings from the turkey skin.
Product:
Organic Cranberry Beans - Culton Organics
Organic Bleached Celery - Culton Organics
Celery Root - Blooming Glen
Organic Cippolini Onions - Culton Organics
Organic Pea Shoots - Queen's Farm