Turkey Galantine Recipes

TURKEY BALLOTINE WITH PROSCIUTTO, SAGE, AND ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLES

Steps:

• To prepare the ballotine: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lay out the turkey breast on a flat surface with the skin side down. Pull the fillet (the piece that is loosely attached to the center of the breast on the opposite side from the skin) toward the middle of the breast so that it lays flat. Split open the large end of the turkey breast, while still keeping it attached to the rest of the breast, and lay next to the fillets. You should have a turkey breast that is roughly rectangular. Cover with plastic wrap and pound with a mallet until the surface is even and flat. Season the flattened breast with kosher salt and Szechuan peppercorns. Sprinkle the surface with the chopped herbs. Cover with the prosciutto. Starting with the end closest to you, roll tightly into a cylinder and tie every 2 inches with the butcher's twine. Season trhe outside with Kosher salt and Szechuan peppercorns. Place in a roasting pan and bake for about 1 1/2 hours, or until an internal temperature of 140 degrees is reached.
• To preapre the roasted vegetables: Toss the onions, carrots, turnips, and parsnips in the oil and vinegar. After the ballotine has been cooking for 45 mintues, add the vegetables to the roasting pan. When the ballotine and vegetables are cooked, remove them from the oven. Let the turkey rest for 20 minutes, loosely covered with aluminum foil. To serve, remove the strings from the turkey (scissors work best for this), slice, and serve with the roasted vegetables.
• Wine Notes To satisfy everyones taste, it is traditional to serve both red and white wine at the Wente family Thanksgiving dinner. More importantly, it is not necessarily the turkey that you are trying to pair with the wine. The other side dishes, gravies, and stuffing may have the stronger flavors and intensity with which the wines need to be paired. For a white wine, we usually serve a Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon blend or a full-bodied Chardonnay--both providing enough flavor and weight. We generally tend toward a light to medium-bodied red wine with nice acid, balanced tannins, and rich fruit, such as a Pinot Noir or Merlot. Whatever you choose, remember that there is no one right answer to a melting pot of traditions and flavors.

TURKEY GALANTINE

Steps:

• Mix the ground meats, garlic, 1/2 cup cognac, the eggs, 1/4 teaspoon quatre épices, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, the pepper and thyme in a large bowl. Blend well with the hands. If you wish to test the flavor, cook a small amount of the mixture in butter until cooked through.
• Split the turkey down the back and carefully bone the bird, being careful not to slit the skin. With your fingers and a small, sharp-pointed knife, pull and cut the meat away from the bones. When you come to the legs and thighs, use your fingers to help locate and slip out the thigh bones. You may remove the wings and, if you wish, remove the leg and leave only the thigh. When the bird is completely boned, remove the breast fillets. Marinate the fillets for 1 hour in a mixture of cognac, 1 teaspoon salt and a sprinkling of quatre épices or Spice Parisienne.
• To assemble the galantine, spread the boned turkey, skin side down, on a table or marble slab. Spread the farce (the ground meat mixture) over the meat of the turkey. Place the well-trimmed marinate fillets in the center of the turkey.
• Arrange the fingers of meat and truffles along the sides of the fillets and push them well into the farce. Sprinkle with pistachio nuts and then roll up the stuffed turkey like a giant sausage. Turn in the ends of the skin and bring the sides together so that they overlap. Sew them with light twine and a needle. Roll the turkey in a damp towel and tie securely at the ends and around the middle, leaving pieces of string at the ends.
• Half fill a long fish cooker with meat stock and tie the galantine by the strings to the handles at either end so that it is suspended in the stock. Cover well with several thicknesses of aluminum foil. Press the foil around the edge of the cooker and steam the turkey for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Remove from the broth after it is partially cooled and weight it so that it holds its shape and become very firm as it cools. Chill in the refrigerator for 36 hours before serving. To serve, remove the covering and arrange on a large platter or carving board and surround with chopped aspic. Carve in thinnish slices and serve as an hors d'oeuvre or as one dish for a buffet meal.