Turkey Pot Pie

I finally got to the pot O’ gold at the end of my rainbow of leftover turkey. We ate turkey for Thanksgiving, had the same dinner as leftovers on Tuesday, made turkey sandwiches, made hot turkey and stuffing sandwiches, made turkey club-houses and boiled the carcass for some tasty turkey stock.

With the turkey stock also comes some flaky turkey meat. I had two options…make turkey salad and push my limits of eating turkey or try something different. I’m glad I chose the latter and tried my hand at a turkey pot pie.

Growing up in ’70’s Toronto was as Wonderbread, Anglo-Saxon, WASP as one could get. Back then the Greeks, Italians had begun to encroach upon the English neighborhoods and their sanctuaries of boiled beef, beer and fish & chip joints.

Back then as a Greek boy, I felt out of sorts with what were considered my “weird lunches” or pleading to my mom to make something “normal” for when friends came over. One of those foods was beef or chicken pot pies from the supermarket.

My how times have changed! I’m kinda glad that our family tried foods other than Greek, We would try lasagna, roast beef, trifle, beef stroganoff and intersperse all these new foods with our Greek food.

I remember my mom chastizing me for wanting “English” food. She would yell, “waat, arr YOu Crraay-zee, YOU waant thaat Garr-beeje? Greeek food eez the best you VLAKA…we eat THA food of the GODS!

Fast forward to 2007. Toronto is a very cosmopolitan city. I’d say Toronto has as many ethnicities (if not more than New York) with a multitude of international produce and foods available to us. It’s evident in the grocery stores. Where strawberry ice cream used to be found, I now see green tea ice cream. Where waffles were found, I now see Udon noodles. Where chicken pot pies were found, I now see frozen Durian fruit!

This recipe (turkey pot pie) took me back to 1970′ s Toronto. It was remarkably simple, the taste factor was 10 out of 10 and my only complaint was with the biscuit crust. Although edible, it appears that I forgot to add the cream…DOH!!!!

Turkey Pot Pie
(recipe made 4 portion-sized servings)

1/2 stick of unsalted butter
1 large onion, diced
2 stalks of celery, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces (reserve the leaves for later)
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch circles
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh thyme
1 tsp dried sage
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup of flour
2 cups of turkey (or chicken/vegetable) stock
1/2 cup of half/half cream
1- 1 1/2 lbs of torn cooked turkey meat
1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 Tbsp of chopped fresh parsley
3 scallions, diced reserved celery leaves
salt & pepper to taste

1. Place your butter into a large saucepan to melt on medium-high heat. Add your onions, garlic, celery, carrots, red pepper, thyme, sage and bay leaves. Turn down the heat to medium-low and let them cook & soften for about 15 minutes.
2. Add your flour, turn up the heat to medium and stir constantly to mix the flour. Allow the flour to cook off for about 5 minutes. Add your stock and cream and bring the heat back up to high. Once it starts boiling, turn the heat back down to medium, stir constantly and allow the sauce to simmer until it thickens to a consistency of a creamed soup.
3. Remove the bay leaves. Now add your frozen mixed veggies and stir in to incorporate and heat through. Add your turkey meat, stir to mix in and then add your parsley, scallions and mix them in as well. Adjust seasoning with salt ( I didn’t need any) and some black pepper. Reserve.

Sour Cream Biscuit Dough

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup frozen butter
1/2 cup half/half cream
1/2 cup sour cream

1. Into a bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a food processor. Using a box grater, grate the cold butter into the flour. Add your sour cream and half/half cream. Pulse a few times until the mixture looks dry with some buttery lumps.
2. Take the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough several times. Roll the dough out and cut it into the shape & size of the vessels you’ll use to bake your turkey pot pies.

Assembly

1. Preheat your oven to 350F, rack in the middle.
2. Spoon your pie filling into your baking vessels of choice.
3. Set the biscuit dough over the pie filling and brush the tops with an egg wash (1 lightly beaten egg with 3 Tbsp. water).
4. Place the baking vessels on a baking sheet and place in the oven for about 20-30 minutes or until the tops are golden-brown.