Turkey Potpie with Sweet-Potato Biscuits
Makes 8 servings
Filling
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large leek (about 2 cups), white and pale green parts trimmed, washed, and chopped
- 2 celery stalks, cut into ½-inch dice
- 2 large carrots, cut into ½-inch dice
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- ¹⁄8 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups diced parsnip or celery root
- 1 cup button mushrooms, halved or quartered
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 cups cooked turkey meat, chopped or shredded
- ½ cup cream or half-and-half
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
- ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Biscuits
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine-grain salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
- ½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
- 1 cup mashed sweet potato, chilled
- ½ cup buttermilk, or more as needed
1. For the filling: Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add leek, celery, carrot, thyme, and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook about 8 minutes, until vegetables are almost tender. Add parsnip and mushrooms, stir, and cook uncovered 2 minutes.
2. Sprinkle in flour, stirring to incorporate evenly. Gradually add 1 cup broth, stirring gently, until thickened. Stir in remaining broth, turkey, and cream. Bring to a gentle simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Remove from heat and stir in peas and parsley. Let cool slightly before proceeding. This recipe can be made ahead until this point, cooled, covered, and refrigerated up to 2 days.
4. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Pour turkey and vegetables into dish.
5. For the biscuits: Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, salt, pepper, and paprika in bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to mix. Add butter and cheese, and pulse again until mixture looks pebbly with small oat-size lumps. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
6. Whisk sweet potato with ¹⁄³ cup buttermilk until very smooth. Add to biscuit mixture, stirring with a rubber spatula just until roughly combined and dough comes together. Add buttermilk as needed if dough seems dry. Avoid overmixing.
7. Using a large spoon, drop dough onto turkey filling in 8 biscuit-shaped mounds. Use back of a fork to flatten and shape biscuits. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, until biscuits are nicely browned and filling is bubbling hot. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe By Molly Stevens
Potato Frittata with Feta, Mortadella, and Thai Basil
Makes 4 to 6 servings
A very versatile dish, serve this frittata sliced in wedges or squares as an appetizer.
- 12 ounces new potatoes, or other waxy type
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or more as needed
- 3 ounces Italian mortadella or cooked sausage, cut into small dice
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- 6 ounces feta, cut into small dice
- ²⁄³ cup Thai basil leaves, coarsely torn up
1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Parboil potatoes 6 to 8 minutes depending on size. Drain and set aside. When cool enough to handle, cut into a small dice.
3. Heat a heavy frying pan to medium and add 3 tablespoons oil. When hot, add potatoes and brown without stirring to avoid breaking up. Turn with a spatula when cooking side is golden. Turn again and cook until lightly browned.
4. Add mortadella. Sprinkle in garlic.
5. In a large bowl, combine eggs with feta. Add potato mixture.
6. In a baking pan, heat remaining oil in oven.
7. When pan is hot, pour in potato mixture and smooth until flat.
8. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until mixture feels firm and egg is no longer runny.
9. To remove from pan, loosen sides with a knife and bottom with a small spatula and invert onto a plate. Leave to cool slightly until firm. Cut into small canapé-size pieces, sprinkle with basil, and serve.
Recipe By Marlena Spieler; photo by Terry Brennan; food stying by Lara Miklasevics
Bucatini with Fresh Tuna, Capers, Pistachios, and Spicy Breadcrumbs
Makes 6 servings
This is a classic Sicilian pasta with fresh tuna, finished not with grated cheese but with the traditional breadcrumb garnish that is considered more appropriate for seafood.
There are many ways to put this kind of pasta together. I’ve punctuated mine with two of Sicily’s most beloved products: capers, the preserved flower buds from a common Mediterranean bush, and pistachios. The capers from the hot, dry islands of Pantelleria and Lipari are considered the best in the world. They’re packed in Sicilian sea salt and, once rinsed, have a gorgeous floral taste that you don’t find in the vinegar-preserved varieties. Pistachios from Bronte, a town near Mount Etna, are famous for their rich, buttery flavor. Both crops were first cultivated during the Arab occupation of the island, which began in the mid 800s.
Offer this pasta as a first course with a Carricante wine, a white from Mount Etna. Planeta is a good producer.
- Extra virgin olive oil
- ¾ cup homemade breadcrumbs, dry and not too finely ground
- 1 teaspoon dried pepperoncino, ground, or another medium-hot dried chili
- 1 big pinch sugar
- 2 small, tender inner celery stalks, cut into small dice, plus a palmful celery leaves, lightly chopped
- 1 small onion, cut into small dice
- 1 palmful fennel seeds
- 4 anchovy fillets, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 28-ounce can plus 1 15-ounce can plum tomatoes, well chopped and with the juice
- ¹⁄³ cup salt-packed Sicilian capers, soaked 10 minutes, rinsed, and drained
- 1 handful unsalted pistachios, shelled (Sicilian if available)
- 1 pound bucatini
- 1 ½ pounds tuna steak, cut into small cubes (yellowfin or albacore are the most sustainable choices)
- 1 splash dry Marsala
- 12 basil leaves, lightly chopped
1. In a small skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs, chili, sugar, and a little salt. Stir then sauté 1 minute, until breadcrumbs are lightly golden. Transfer to a small serving bowl.
2. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add celery and leaves, onion, fennel seeds, and anchovies, and sauté until soft and fragrant. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute without browning. Add tomatoes, season with salt and black pepper, and cook uncovered at a lively bubble 10 minutes. Add capers and pistachios, and turn off heat.
3. While sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a generous amount of salt. Drop bucatini into water, giving it a stir to prevent sticking.
4. In another large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over high heat until hot. Dry tuna and add to skillet, spreading out to cook evenly. Season with salt and black pepper, and cook
2 minutes, just until tender. Deglaze skillet with Marsala, letting it bubble a few seconds. Add tuna, with skillet juices, to sauce.
5. When bucatini is al dente, drain and transfer to a large serving bowl. Drizzle with oil and scatter on basil. Toss. Add sauce, toss again, and taste for seasoning. Serve hot, giving each bowl a generous sprinkling of breadcrumbs.
