The Mark 2010

There is a limit to the number of cold turkey sandwiches someone can eat. Here are three alternative uses for the extra bird.

Open any food magazine this time of year, and it will show you how to cook a turkey. You’ve probably learned how to deep fry, put butter under the skin, roast, rest, glaze, stuff, dress, and slice the bird in more ways than you ever thought possible. But what do you do with all those leftovers?

In the spirit of giving, I decided to pass along some suggestions to you on what to do with the extra turkey. Here are the top three suggestions from an impromptu poll I did with some quickie recipes to guide you through.

3. Poutine
I’m not sure if this one made it to the list because there are suddenly more poutine shops in my city than specialty coffee bars, or if it is the fact that once you have eaten a really great poutine, you suddenly wonder why there is not one on every corner?
Recipe: Make really good fries with real potatoes cooked in duck fat. Get extra squishy fresh cow’s-milk curds and place them on top of the fries. Make the most delicious jus of duck, beef, and pinot and, while still steaming hot, pour over the curds, fries and turkey. Serve immediately.


• 2. Turkey Soup
  I am a fanatic for soup, so it has to be on the list.
  Recipe: Start with a great stock – soup is more than 50 per cent liquid and most of that liquid should be a really great stock. Support it with leeks, daikon, soy, chili, fish sauce and honey. Make sure that broth is delicious. Add lentils, turkey, carrot, thai basil, and basmati rice. Cook it all up and whoa!
  
  
• 1. Turkey Curry
  Every year, my friend Mr. Injeti would cook the leftover turkey with spices served with Daal, Chapatti and steaming hot rice. Not to mention yogurt with tomato, cucumber, lemon, and cumin. This year, Mr. Injeti passed away, and though his soul rests in peace his tradition lives on.
  Recipe: I will not even attempt to guess at the magic of this recipe, but if I had to guess, I would say he dry fried that cooked Turkey with a whack of spices. Sautéed onions and garlic with it. Tossed in some chopped curry leaves and a whole lotta love. At the end, it was browned, crispy, and loaded with flavour. So good.