What is it about October that makes us crave turkey and soup? Till Thanksgiving, the only whole birds available are frozen. Joe managed to find a fresh Shady Brook breast, in his travels - delicious with baked potatoes and veggies on the side, the first night. Then, spectacular when warmed with the juices rendered after fat was removed. But what about soup?
The remaining frame wasn't adequate for hearty soup, so I added a package of chicken legs to the equation and let it all simmer away. You know the drill: carrots, onions, garlic, celery and whatever else you can fit in the pot. When done and cooled, I separated solids from broth to refrigerate separately. Skimmed and finished, it was laden with shredded poultry, mashed veggies and peppery seasoning... and... angel hair. Have I shared my skinny-pasta secret with you? Break angel hair into a bowl, cover with water and nuke it to boiling. It takes a few minutes of pot-free cooking to have fresh, al dente pasta ready-to-go. Then...
Joe spent a successful Saturday morning bow hunting. Don't ask. But I'm here to say that truly fresh turkey is something to experience. It was our first time. Blush. Here's what I did:
Meat soaked in marinade of EVOO, white balsamic, mustard, garlic and lemon-pepper spice for several hours, in fridge. I removed from soak, discarded the remainder and dredged in a crumb mixture of Italian bread, Ritz crackers, garlic powder, paprika and more lemon-pepper spice. After placing on a prepared pan, I surrounded it with Honeycrisp apple slices and dried cranberries, sweetened with sugar/cinnamon/ginger and sprayed... baked for 50 minutes in a preheated 350-degree oven.
After this meal, it shall be even harder to fulfill our turkey expectations, but the Great White Hunter is allowed to tag two more birds, through rifle season. I just try not to think about that aspect of delicious food....
Buon Appetito.
