Turkey Casserole

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                            FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks once again to Rosemary Zwick for our daily dose of food humor:

The owner of a small New York deli was being questioned by an IRS agent
about his tax return. He had reported a net profit of $80,000 for the
year. "Why don't you people leave me alone?" the deli owner said. "I
work like a dog, everyone in my family helps out, the place is only
closed three days a year. And you want to know how I made $80,000?"

"It's not your income that bothers us," the agent said. "It's these
travel deductions. You listed ten trips to Australia for you and your wife."

"Oh, that?" the owner said smiling. "We also deliver."

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                            TODAY'S RECIPE
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This recipe calls for a whole small turkey, but you might prefer to use a combination of legs and wings.

Turkey Casserole

8 Tbs (120 ml) butter
6-8 lbs (2.7-3.6 Kg) turkey, cut into serving pieces
Flour for dredging
1 cup (250 ml) white wine
4-6 slices bacon, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
2 tsp (10 ml) dried thyme
1 bay (laurel) leaf
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream
1/4 cup (60 ml) cognac or bourbon (optional)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat the butter in a large skillet over moderate heat. Dredge the turkey
lightly with flour and brown on all sides in the butter. Transfer the
turkey to a large baking dish as it is browned. Deglaze the skillet with
the white wine and add this to the baking dish with the turkey. Using
the same skillet, saute the bacon to render some of the fat, about 2
minutes, and then saute the onion in the bacon fat until tender but not
brown, about 5 minutes. Add this mixture to the baking dish along with
the thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bake tightly covered in a 325F
(165C) oven until the turkey is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove from
the oven and transfer the liquid to a small pot, leaving the turkey in
the baking dish. Skim as much fat off the surface of the cooking liquid
as possible, then add the cream and optional cognac to the pot. Bring to
a boil over high heat and simmer until reduced by half. Return the sauce
to the baking dish and bake covered an additional 15 minutes.
Serves 6 to 8.
Received on Thu Aug 27 18:39:58 2009