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Post date: Nov 24, 2013 8:57:38 PM
Revised: Nov 27, 2022
This recipe was inspired by Theresa Bounassi's suggestion in November 2013 that we get together for an early Thanksgiving celebration. I borrowed from two FoodNetwork recipes to figure out how to create herbed turkey pot pies from scratch:
(1) Ina Garten's "Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast": http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/herb-roasted-turkey-breast-recipe/index.html
(2) Cathy Lowe's "Turkey Pot Pie": http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/turkey-pot-pie-recipe/index.html
Nine years later in November 2022, we celebrated Thanksgiving a couple days late with Reg Penner & Theresa McIntire upon their return from Merced. The 2022 version reflects tweaks that make prep easier.
Serves: Makes 12 individual pot pies plus a small casserole to yield 4 more servings.
Equipment:
1-cup glass measure
citrus reamer
Viking roasting pan with lift-up rack or ceramic baker (12" x 9" oval to just fit breast)
silicone basting brush
2 small plastic "cafeteria" trays
parchment paper
mega Le Crueset dutch oven or mega skillet (Calphalon 15")
1-2 quart pot or medium skillet
12 1-cup porcelain ramekins
porcelain baker / casserole (13" x 9")
baking sheet
pastry brush
Ingredients:
Turkey Breast:
2 T. fresh thyme leaves (strip from stems with thumb and index finger)
2 T. fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped (strip from stems with thumb and index finger then chop)
2 T. fresh sage leaves, finely chopped (stack & roll leaves, slice finely crosswise, then chop)
1/4 C. garlic, minced (6-8 very large cloves)
2 T. dry mustard (Coleman's)
1 T. kosher salt
1-1/2 t. black pepper, freshly ground
1/4 C. extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon, freshly squeezed, about 1/4 C.
1/2 bone-in turkey breast (~3.5 - 4 lbs.) or 1 whole (9 lbs.) and use only half for TPPs)
2 C. Albariño white wine or Pouilly Fuisse
Pot Pie Pastry & Fillling:
2 sheets puff pastry, preferably thawed in refrigerator overnight (Pepperidge Farms)
2 (red) onions, chopped into 3/4" triangular chunks
4 stalks celery, roll-chopped into 1/2" triangular chunks
6 carrots, peeled and roll-chopped into 1/2" triangular chunks
1 stick unsalted butter (8 tablespoons), sliced into 4 pieces
1/2 C. flour
8 C. turkey stock or chicken stock
pan drippings from roasting turkey breast (~ 2 cups)
3 large Russet potatoes, peeled, sliced lengthwise into 1" slabs then 1"x1"xx" & finally 1" triangular chunks
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 C. (heaping) flour
turkey breast sliced into 1"x1" chunks (~4 cups), along with any herb paste that has fallen off turkey
1 T. kosher salt
1 t. black pepper, freshly ground
10 oz. (approximately 2 C.) frozen petite peas (Bird's Eye comes in 10 oz. & 16 oz. packages)
1 C. flat leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
2 eggs, beaten
Roasting the turkey breast:
Harvest herbs and rinse. Wrap in kitchen towel or paper toweling to remove excess moisture. Chop herbs and place in 1-cup glass measure. Add garlic, dry mustard, salt, pepper, EVOO, and lemon juice. Stir well to combine and form a thick paste.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Rinse turkey breast and dry thoroughly with paper toweling. Be sure to blot all crevices so that marinade is not diluted by excess water clinging to breast. (If desired, separate skin from breast being careful not to remove skin entirely.) Skin and fat will flavor the breast and keep it more moist.
Slather herb paste all over turkey breast, under and over the skin and between all crevices. Place breast in roaster or oval baker that just hugs the breast. Pour wine around and over the breast.
Depending on size roast for 2-4 hours or until thermometer reads 155-165°F when poked into the thickest part of the breast. Let breast rest for at least 30 minutes and preferably an hour.
Remove breast(s) from breastplate. Slice breast into 1-inch thick slices and chop or pull apart into large 1"x2" bite-sized pieces and gather any excess herb paste to add to the turkey pieces. Reserve pan juices, deglazing roasting pan to release any stuck-on good bits.
Preparing the pastry:
If puff pastry is not already thawing in refrigerator, thaw puff pastry on counter top. When pasty is soft enough to handle without cracking, unfold sheets on to plastic tray lined with parchment paper. Cut 12 circles using large biscuit/cookie cutter or 1-cup metal measure. For each puff pastry sheet, cut 4 circles in the outermost corners first and then 2 more circles in the inside. Score circles with a large criss-cross "X" or a large asterisk in the center of each circle. Place trays with scored circles and scraps in freezer to firm up pastry until ready to bake. Preheat oven to 400°F.
Preparing the filling:
Prep vegetables, cutting all into aesthetic 1" triangular shapes. Rinse potatoes 3 times and leave to soak in cold water to remove excess starch.
Melt 1 stick of butter in mega LeCrueset pot or mega skillet. Sauté onions until soft and becoming translucent. Add celery and carrots. Sauté, stirring occasionally over several minutes, until brightly colored and flavors have melded. Stir in 1/2 cup of flour and stir vigorously and scrape pan bottom to create a pre-roux. Add stock and pan drippings (having deglazed any accumulated bits). Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Add the potatoes and simmer until tender. Mixture will be very soupy rather than gravy like. When the potatoes are approaching tenderness, make a secondary roux.
Melt stick of butter in a 1-2 quart pot or medium skillet. As butter starts to brown, add flour and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon to create roux. Let bubble and froth, cooking to remove uncooked flavor of flour. Add half of roux to soupy mixture and stir. Check consistency. If still thin, add more roux as appropriate. Stir and check consistency, adding additional roux until desired thickness is achieved. (I always seem to add entirety of roux.) Add turkey pieces, being sure to include any excess herb paste that has accumulated on cutting surface. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Turn off heat. Add peas and parsley. Stir well to combine ingredients and taste one more time, adding any seasonings, if necessary.
Baking the pot pies:
Be sure oven is pre-heated to 400°F. Divide turkey-gravy filling among 12 ramekins and casserole dish (or 4-6 more ramekins. Arrange ramekins and casserole dish on baking sheet(s). When ready to bake, remove pastry circles and scraps from freezer and arrange one circle on each ramekin. Place pastry scraps over casserole in jigsaw puzzle fashion, leaving gaps here an there to create air vents. If using egg wash, brush top of pastry with beaten eggs. Place baking sheet of ramekins on top rack of oven and casserole on bottom rack. (Alternatively, seal casserole in large ziploc bag and freeze. Bake for 30 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. Using oven mitts, place ramekins on individual dinner plates.
Tap friends for your and their favorite side dishes and voila! A casual Thanksgiving feast!
Notes:
The Bounassis (sans poor Kate!) and the McInPenners came over on 23 November 2013 bearing many wonders from their kitchens. A group effort led to an amazing dinner of:
Cranberry G&Ts and Cranberry Martinis
Potato Fries Chips from Hokkaido, Japan
Turkey Pot Pie
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta
Roasted Butternut Squash
Theresa McIntire's Better-Than-Gulf-Stream Wild Rice Salad
Salad of Persimmons, Arugula, Walnuts, and Dried Cranberries
Theresa Bounassi's Classic Pumpkin Pie with Leaves Carved by Mickey
Theresa Bounassi's Spiced Fruit & Nut Pie--Mickey's Favorite
TJ's Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Hokkaido Caramels
2013: Very fun to source "parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme" from our very own herb planter boxes!
2022: Herbs since moved from planter boxes to larger pots in garden where they are thriving.
For Post-Merced Thanksgiving celebrated with McInPenners on 26 November 2022, we enjoyed:
Rob's appetizer of caviar & boursin-creme fraiche atop cucumber slices and rice crackers.
Turkey Pot Pies
Theresa;s Salad
Crispy & Loaded Mashed Potatoes, adapted from Daniel Gritzer, Serious Eats.
Magnum & Haagen Daas ice cream sticks dipped in chocolate
Photos:
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