Thankful for leftovers

Thanksgiving essentials. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Thanksgiving has come and gone and I have to say, as much as we enjoy the big meal with family, we like the leftovers best. We always have a turkey carcass, and in the years when we host, Mr. A Cook will take all the meat off the bones, then boil up the carcass with some celery, carrots, turnips and potatoes for turkey soup (while I'm loading the dishwasher for the 2nd or possibly 3rd time). It's tradition, much like a few more that I discovered this Thanksgiving. Here's a round-up of some useful leftover traditions, each with an international flair - Chinese, Italian and Canadian.

Not sure plain steamed rice has ever graced my Thanksgiving table, but it makes complete sense on Felicia Lee's T-day table. Felicia is an engaging and elegant writer and tells her family's feast story on her blog, Burnt-Out Baker. Her Turkey Jook, a creamy rice soup, is on my must-make list.

Chef Riccardo Ullio of Fritti. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

 Atlanta Chef Riccardo Ullio of Fritti serves staffers turkey calzone after Thanksgiving. It’s a homey dish and he shared an outline of his recipe with the encouragement “to use your leftovers however you would like.”

To make Chef Riccardo’s turkey calzone, make a filling with white and dark turkey meat, fresh bufala mozzarella, ricotta cheese and onions. Take a round of pizza dough and spread the filling over one half of the stretched dough, then fold the other half to form the calzone. Roll the edges over and pinch with fingers to seal. Place the calzone in the oven at 450 degrees and bake for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the dough is browned. Remove the calzone from the oven and set aside to cool. Dress with turkey gravy and mangiamo!

Chef Robert Gerstenecker of Park 75 at the Four Seasons Hotel/Atlanta. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

 I met Chef Robert Chef Robert Gerstenecker of Park 75 at Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta last spring when he invited Atlanta food bloggers to tour the apiary and gardens atop the hotel. He grew up on a farm in his native Canada and takes a rustic approach to turkey leftovers with turkey and dumplings, a stew that will use up the turkey, dressing, gravy and any roasted vegetables that may have escaped the T-Day feast.

Turkey n' Dumplings
Yield: 8 generous servings

Dumplings
1 ¾ cups turkey stuffing
½  teaspoon baking powder
¼  teaspoon baking soda
¼ stick butter
¼  cup chopped fresh herbs such as chives and parsley, or 2 tablespoons dried herbs, optional
2 large eggs

For the dumplings:

1. Mix together stuffing, baking soda, baking powder, salt and egg. Melt butter and pour over mixture. Cover and refrigerate this mixture while you're making the filling.

Turkey & Gravy Filling
3 cups leftover gravy
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
4 cups diced, cooked leftover turkey meat
2 ½ cups leftover mixed vegetables

For the turkey & gravy filling:
1. Heat gravy and season with thyme, bay leaf, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes, and then stir in the meat and vegetables. Return the filling to a simmer, and transfer to a 4-quart baking dish with a lid.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
3. To assemble: Once the hot filling is in the dish, scoop the dumpling mixture into small balls and place on top of the turkey filling.  Put the lid on top, and bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes.

What will you make the leftovers from your Thanksgiving feast?



Text and images copyright 2011, Lucy Mercer, with the exception of the chef's photos.

Good Gravy

Gravy for poultry by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Good gravy is a godsend, whether you need it to dress the bird, the dressing or the mashed potatoes, having homemade gravy on the Thanksgiving table pretty much separates the real cooks from the duffers.

There's no particular magic to gravy, just attention to ingredients and proper stirring to eliminate lumps will carry a novice through. Here's the recipe that I've used for years - it's based on canned chicken broth, but substitute homemade turkey or chicken or vegetable broth as you wish. For the Thanksgiving feast, combine the gravy with some of the pan drippings from the bird for a truly spectacular gravy (if the bird has been brined, add drippings judiciously, the salt can quickly overwhelm the sauce).

Gravy for Poultry

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped

1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped

1 stalk celery, peeled and roughly chopped

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 bay leaf

1 sprig fresh thyme, if available

1 (32 oz) package low-salt chicken broth

Salt and pepper to taste.

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add the vegetables, all roughly chopped, and let brown, stirring occasionally. Pour chicken broth into a microwavable container and zap for 1 minute.

2. Stir the vegetables until they are nice and caramel-colored, about 10 minutes, then add 1/4 cup all-purpose flour. Stir this into the vegetables for an additional 5 minutes or so. Then gradually add 4 cups of warm broth. Strain the broth through a sieve, discarding the solids. Season to taste. Cool and store the gravy in the fridge for a day or so, or place in the freezer until Thanksgiving Day.

3. On Turkey Day, stand by the stove, lovingly stirring the gravy, adjusting the seasoning and admiring your kitchen skills. Homemade gravy without lumps, and not requiring a packet or a pocket or a jar.