| Issue #35, November 24, 2006 |
Silvia Lehrer’s Cooking Column
After the Thanksgiving feast, are you comforted by visions of delicious leftovers, or do you deny their presence? Love them or loathe them, Thanksgiving leftovers are here to stay - and I for one, love it.
It’s important to make sure that leftover turkey meat is carefully
stored in your refrigerator. Carve all the meat off the carcass and
refrigerate the extras as promptly as possible and in a suitable container.
The less air that gets into any container or wrapping, the longer the
meat will stay fresh. And don’t throw the bones away - the carcass,
combined with a carrot, a rib of celery or two and a couple of parsley
sprigs, along with a couple of cloves, peppercorns and a bay leaf or
two are the beginnings of a fine broth to use in a soup or stew.
One of my favorite ways to use up several Turkey Day trimmings is to
pile slices of cooked turkey with cranberry relish, onion-mushroom herb
stuffing, red onion slices and a smear of mayonnaise into a hollowed-out
crusty loaf. Weight down the sandwich in the refrigerator and slice
into portions for serving. It will make a great lunch, paired with a
tossed green salad the next day!
For an Asian twist, fried rice is a great way to incorporate leftover
turkey with cooked rice, some chopped garlic and ginger, and any leftover
vegetables you may have lying around, such as cooked broccoli and snow
peas. Add some water chestnuts, a generous splash of soy sauce and a
dash of dark sesame oil and you’ve created a tasty way to clean
out the fridge. How thankful we are – even for Turkey Day excesses!
ROAST TURKEY, STUFFING AND CRANBERRY SANDWICH
For delicious leftover pickings, assemble a sandwich with turkey
trimmings.
Serves 4-6
1 round loaf of crusty Italian or French baguette
5-6 tablespoons light mayonnaise
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned turkey stuffing
1 cup cranberry sauce
3/4-1 pound turkey slices
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
Salad greens, vinegar and oil for a simple salad (optional)
1. Whichever bread you use, halve the bread horizontally. Hollow out
the bread, leaving a 1/2 inch thick shell.
2. Thinly spread both sides with mayonnaise then spread a generous layer
of stuffing on one half of the bread. Spread cranberry sauce over the
stuffing then layer turkey slices and onion on top of that. Place the
remaining bread half over the top.
3. Cover bread with plastic wrap and weight down with a heavy object
(such as a coffee can) in refrigerator for an hour or two. When ready
to serve, slice into portions and bring to room temperature. Garnish
each plate with fresh salad greens, dressed lightly with vinegar and
extra-virgin olive oil, if desired.
ASIAN TURKEY FRIED RICE
Fried rice is indeed a flexible dish. It can be prepared with almost
any solid leftovers. Just be sure to use day-old cooked rice, which
works best.
Serves 4-5
3 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 bunch whole scallions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
4 cups cold, cooked long-grain or basmati rice
1 cup cooked broccoli florets
1/2 cup julienne of snow peas
1/2 cup coarsely chopped water chestnuts
2 cups cooked turkey slices
1-2 teaspoons coarse (kosher) salt
3-4 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
Note: Place all the ingredients on a prep tray or platter, arranging
them side by side. The actual cooking will then go swiftly and carefully
– that’s what Chinese stir-fry is all about.
1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium-sized wok or large skillet. Stir
fry eggs in the oil, chopping them coarsely with a spatula or side of
large spoon. Dish out to a side plate.
2. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in the same skillet or wok and add
scallions, garlic and ginger. Stir-fry about 2-3 minutes, until a bit
limp, then add the rice, breaking up any lumps with a spatula. Add broccoli,
snow peas, water chestnuts, turkey slices and seasonings, turning and
mixing with 2 spatulas or large spoons over medium heat until contents
are well mixed and heated through. If at any time the mixture sticks
to the pan, tilt pan and add a bit more oil to side of pan. Taste to
adjust seasoning as necessary and serve hot.
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