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Turkey Stew
I made this Turkey Stew for my brother’s birthday last night (per his request) and it was a big hit with everyone but my picky daughter, who accumulated a pile of discarded peas beside her bowl. I had never made it before, and most of the recipes I found online were geared towards the use of turkey leftovers or dark meat only. I had 2 turkey legs and a 6 pound breast on hand, so I developed this recipe around those cuts. Plus, I had to include lots of peas because they are my brother’s favorite vegetable (he took my daughter’s discards, so it worked out….).
You could use any type of turkey meat you have on hand, and you could also substitute prepared broth, such as turkey, chicken or vegetable.
Stock
- 2 turkey legs
- 1 turkey breast (5-6 lbs), bone in
- 1 onion, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 small bunch of celery greens, rinsed
- 1 carrot, grated
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3-4 grinds of pepper
- Combine all ingredients in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and let simmer lightly for about 2 hours. Add more water as needed to keep meat covered.
- Turn off heat and strain through a colander into another large pot or bowl.
- Clean out any leftover pieces in the original large pot with a paper towel and then pour the strained stock back in it. You should have about 12-14 cups of stock.
Stew
- Potatoes - 10-12 small to medium russets or reds, peeled and cut into 1″ chunks
- Celery - 4 stalks, sliced 1/4″ thick
- Carrots - 6 medium carrots sliced into 1/2″ - 1″ rounds
- Parsnips - 2 medium parsnips, sliced 1/4″ thick
- Onion, 1 chopped
- Peas - 2 cups, frozen or fresh
- Thyme - 1/2 tsp, powdered
- Sage - 1/2 tsp, powdered
- Oregano - 1/2 tsp, dried
- Basil - 1/2 tsp dried
Thickener
- 3-6 tblsp. cornstarch
- 1/4 cup milk
- Add all of the Stew ingredients (veggies and herbs) to the stock and simmer lightly for 30-45 minutes.
- When meat is cool enough to work with, remove from the bones and cut or tear into 1″ pieces, and add to the simmering stew. Cook for an additional 45-60 minutes to blend all flavors.
- Add 3 tblsp. cornstarch to a 1/4 cup milk and stir until smooth. Add to the stew and blend well. If the stew still seems too thin, remove 1/4 cup of the stock, mix with another 3 tblsp. cornstarch until smooth and blend into the stew.
- Cook for another 15-30 minutes.
Serves 8-10. Note that seasonings can be increased if a more robust flavor is desired (I was trying to please some rather bland palettes). Also, other vegetables can be added and/or substituted, such as corn or green beans.
We served with crusty country white bread, but biscuits or soda bread would be excellent too.
We also served with glasses of chilled Italian Pinot Grigio: 2007 Prendina, which was a simple and straightforward (non-fruity) compliment to the the turkey and vegetables.
