Lean mean turkey terrine
Childhood memories of dry Christmas dinners put a lot of people off turkey. But done well, the big bird makes a flavoursome dish.
Few foods have as bad a reputation as turkey. In the United States, it’s most often seen as a symbol of culinary and cultural oppression (if you practically never got paid days off you’d be bitter about having to traipse across the country to eat it at Thanksgiving with your family, too).
Here, free-range turkey producers are trying to rebrand the big birds from farm pest to a good source of lean protein that lends itself to a variety of uses year-round.
These recipes were tested using meat from Croziers Turkeys in Ashburton, where the birds are non-intensively farmed outdoors to ensure superior flavour.
Turkey, pork and bacon terrine
Makes one terrine Serves 6 Preparation time:
15 minutes Cooking time:
1 1⁄4 hours
A terrine has to be one of the easiest do-ahead dishes there is – just mix, cook and chill, then use as a substantial starter or a main course with varying accompaniments. Adding pork mince and lots of streaky bacon helps keep it juicy.
❚ 500g turkey mince
❚ 400g pork mince, preferably pork shoulder
❚ 150g streaky bacon
❚ 2 cloves garlic, crushed to a paste with 1 teaspoon salt
❚ 3 tablespoons gin or brandy
❚ Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
❚ 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
Heat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Line a standard loaf tin with baking paper and set aside. Fill the kettle with water and set to boil.
Put the turkey and pork mince in a large bowl. Chop about 50g of the bacon into small dice and add to the mince, along with the garlic, gin, lemon and herbs. Season well with freshly ground black pepper.
Mix well and pack into the prepared loaf tin. Arrange the remaining strips of streaky bacon on top in a lattice pattern. Sit the loaf tin in a roasting dish and place in the oven. Pour boiling water (from the kettle) into the roasting dish until it comes halfway up the sides of the loaf tin (you may need to boil the kettle twice).
Cook for about 1 1⁄4 hours, until the juices run clear when you poke a skewer into it and the terrine feels firm when pressed. Remove the loaf tin from the roasting dish and leave to cool completely. When the terrine has cooled, put a piece of foil on top and weigh down with a couple of tins. Transfer to the fridge and let rest for 12 hours.
To serve, cut the terrine into thick slices. Serve with crusty bread, baby gherkins, hot mustard and a fruity relish.
Turkey and kumara balls with lemon-yoghurt sauce
Makes about 22 balls, Serves 4-6 as part of a meal Preparation time:
20 minutes Cooking time:
20-25 minutes
Add a crunchy green salad, and this is a complete meal. The kumara adds sweetness and keeps the turkey from drying out, while the lemony-yoghurt dressing adds a tangy punch. You could make these smaller and serve them as canapes for a crowd, too. Any leftovers are great the next day.
❚ 500g turkey mince
❚ 1 medium kumara, grated (about
2 cups loosely packed grated kumara)
❚ 6 spring onions, white and green parts, finely chopped
❚ 1⁄2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley, plus 1 tablespoon extra for garnishing
❚ 2 cloves garlic, crushed to a paste with 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
❚ 1 egg
❚ 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
For the sauce:
❚ 1⁄2 cup plain yoghurt (I use The Collective’s Straight Up Culinary Yoghurt)
❚ 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
❚ 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
Heat the oven to 200C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Put all the ingredients except the olive oil into a large bowl. Mix well and shape into 22 balls. Arrange them on the baking tray and drizzle with the olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Take the tray out of the oven and turn the balls over halfway through cooking.
While the balls are cooking, make the sauce. Put the yoghurt, mustard and lemon juice in a small bowl and stir to combine.
To serve, pile the balls into a bowl and sprinkle over the reserved chopped parsley. Pass the sauce separately.
Pot-roasted rolled turkey with fennel and orange
Serves 6 Preparation time:
20 minutes Cooking time:
1 3⁄4 hours
Pot-roasting has a lot going for it, not least because it’s especially good for very lean meat.
A boneless rolled turkey roast is a great option for people who don’t have the fridge, oven or stomach space for a whole bird.
❚ 6 cloves garlic, peeled
❚ 1.5kg boneless rolled turkey roast
❚ 3 onions, peeled and roughly chopped
❚ 2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
❚ 1 bulb fennel, trimmed and sliced
❚ 1 orange, sliced
❚ 1 bay leaf
❚ 3⁄4 cup white wine
❚ 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
❚ 1⁄4 cup cream
❚ 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
For the glaze:
❚ 2 tablespoons orange marmalade
❚ 1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard Heat the oven to 180C. Push the garlic cloves into the rolled turkey and set aside.
Put the onions, carrots, fennel, orange and bay leaf into a large, heavy ovenproof dish with a lid.
Nestle the turkey on top and pour over the wine. Season well with salt and pepper and drizzle the olive oil over the turkey. Cover tightly and bake in the oven for 1 1⁄2 hours, until juices run clear when you poke the turkey with a skewer.
Raise the oven temperature to 200C. Carefully remove the net from the turkey and discard it. Combine the glaze ingredients and spread this mixture over the turkey, then return the dish to the oven and cook, uncovered, for another 10 minutes.
Remove the turkey from the dish and set aside under a tent of foil to rest.
Discard the bay leaf from the vegetables, then pour them into a blender or food processor and whiz to form a smooth puree. Add the cream and whiz again briefly. Transfer back to the pot and heat gently.
Carve the turkey into slices. Arrange the meat on each plate with a generous spoonful of the vegetable puree and a sprinkle of the chopped parsley.
❚ More of Lucy’s recipes at thekitchenmaid.com. To see what she’s cooking on a daily basis, find her on Instagram or Facebook.