Thursday, April 30, 2009

Battle Turkey

Cooking is a very organic process to me. You can definitely follow a recipe and have a wonderful dish, but to be able to create a dish with just what you have on hand is a bit more fun. I say the former as though it’s me, but in actuality, I cannot follow a recipe to save my dear life. I really think that it is some mutant birth defect that I was born with, but it gives me amateur Iron chef abilities at times.


One strange day, Jacob plopped a 5 lb Butterball whole turkey breast in front of me….


Allez Cuisine!


I channeled Masaharu Maramoto and sprung into action (if you don’t get it, watch more Iron Chef)! I rummaged through the fridge and found spinach, carrots, watercress, radishes, and a delicious new batch of yogurt Mr. Jacob prepared the night before (you will want the recipe for the yogurt).


The breasts were removed from the rib cage and skinned. Off we went!


The turkey bones were quickly sautéed in some onions. Water was then added to make a turkey stock.


Dish 1: Turkey Tandoori (Sort of)


Inspired by Tandoori Chicken (chicken marinated in yogurt, tandoori masala, and cayenne), the turkey received a makeover.


In a zip-top bag, I scooped in some yogurt that Jacob had made. The bag provides a simple clean up method and every chef will appreciate! To the yogurt, I threw in a couple of pinches of dried dill that is keep in stock year round at la casa de Jacob. A lemon was then zest and juiced right into the bag.


If you are going to use a lot of zest from lemons or other citrus, I strongly recommend investing in the Microplane zester! It saves time and fingers. God knows we can’t spare any fingers.


Minced garlic, along with salt, pepper, sugar, and olive oil is added to the bag. I closed the bag and asked Jacob to graciously mix the ingredients as I cubed the turkey. Once the turkey is added to the bag, in the fridge it goes to marinade.


As I skewer the turkey, Jacob prepares the grill. With his manly grilling talents, the kabobs came out just perfectly!


I love this dish because there are so many ways you can enjoy the turkey. It can be eaten on the skewer as a snack, or served over rice pilaf along side a nice creamy cucumber salad for a meal.


If you’re in a sandwich mood:


Take a crusty baguette (of which I’ll be posting a recipe for as well!) and slice it length-wise. Slather on your favorite flavored mayonnaise. Line the bread with some baby spring greens and sliced cucumbers. Place the turkey on top of the beds of green. For extra flavor, throw in some parsley leaves and, as always


Enjoy!


To Be Continued.....



One breast down, one more to go!!!



Recipe

Ingredients:


1 turkey breast

1 cup of plain yogurt (preferably home made, but Dannon plain is okay)

2 tbsp dill, dried or fresh

2 garlic cloves, minced

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp salt

1 tsp pepper

¼ cup olive oil

1 gallon size zip top bag

6 metal skewers or 12 bamboo skewers, soaked in water to avoid burning


The turkey breast needs to be cut into 1 inch cubes and set aside. In the zip-top bag, combine all of the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Add in the turkey and let marinade in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. Skewer the turkey evenly onto the kabob and grill for 5-7 minutes on each side.


If you like a spicier dish, add a couple of teaspoons of cayenne pepper and it’ll sure to give the whole dish a kick.

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