Leftover Turkey 102: Thermomix Turkey Risotto

Leftover Turkey 102: Thermomix Turkey Risotto

Right. It’s three days since Christmas. I think it is, anyway, because by now I’ve completely lost track of the day and date in this year’s whirlwind of celebrations and overeating. In my muddled fog I go down into the kitchen and open the refrigerator door. A very characteristic smell hits me. Hits me like a hammer, as a matter of fact. I ferret around in the myriad of plastic containers, those with lids hiding their bounty from me and my nose. I gently grab a container of the lidless kind and venture a look. Brussels sprouts! Ugh! Not good cold, definitely.

Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce
Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce

The next lidless wonder unfolds a treasure of red gelatinous goo with slightly browned edges. Hmm… jellied cranberry sauce looking a bit worse for the wear. Madame Thermomix grew up in New England on Cape Cod in a town that cultivated cranberries for Ocean Spray and her family used to serve a tin of Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce at Thanksgiving. She once made cranberry orange relish in Brownies but didn’t like it and amazingly enough, didn’t taste whole berry cranberry sauce until she moved to England five years ago. Now it’s her favourite and every time she sees a jar of Ocean Spray she buys it in a fit of nostalgia.

OK, back to the refrigerator scrounge. I look at the containers of leftovers one by one, lidded or lidless, plastic or plate, clingfilmed/plastic wrapped or covered in foil. There’s a growing mess in the kitchen now as I hunt for the source of that elusive yet characteristic smell. Wait – there at the back, behind the pigs in blankets and nestled between jars of chutney and mayonnaise I find at last a scrunched up aluminium foil pan filled with… wait for it… leftover turkey!!!

Right next to it is a big plastic bag with a really funny shape. Looming inside is the carcass of our fine feathered friend, stripped of the meat and yearning for another life. I fulfil its purpose in life by plonking the carcass into a stock pot, adding onion, carrot and celery, covering with water and boiling up into a fragrant broth.

My mind races with the newfound possibilities afforded me. I have turkey stock! Hooray! I have leftover turkey. Boo. Whatever else can I do with it to remedy this situation? I nose around the cupboards and find the answer to my culinary prayers: Arborio rice. I’ll make turkey risotto!

Tesco Arborio Risotto Rice 500g
Tesco Arborio Risotto Rice 500g

Visions of creamy pearls of al dente rice swimming in a thick, fragrant mixture fill my head. Down with sugarplums, up with turkey risotto!

Thermomix Turkey Risotto
Recipe adapted from “Fast and Easy Cooking” by Janie Turner
Serves 5 to 6 as a starter or side dish, 2 to 4 as a main course

Ingredients

80 g parmesan, cut into 4 pieces
40 g parsley or coriander
2 branches of celery, cut into 2-cm chunks
1 shallot or onion, peeled and quartered
20 g olive oil
250 g risotto rice
200 g dry white wine
450 g turkey stock (made with your turkey carcass, onion, carrot, and celery)
salt and pepper
Leftover turkey, cut into chunks (if you can stand to eat any more!)
30 g butter to finish

Method

  1. Grate the parmesan by dropping it onto the running blades at Speed 8, then tip out and reserve.
  2. Chop the parsley or coriander by dropping it on the running blades at Speed 5, turning off the Thermomix immediately. Tip out and reserve.
  3. Peel the garlic! Place whole, unpeeled cloves in the Thermomix bowl. Process Reverse Blade/Speed 4/for 3 to 6 seconds to knock the skins off. Remove skins and discard; leave garlic in the bowl. Remove Reverse Blade function 😉
  4. Add the celery and the shallot or onion. Weigh in the olive oil. Chop 3 seconds/Speed 5 then sauté 3 minutes/100° C/Speed 1.
  5. Add the rice and wine and cook 2 minutes/100° C/Speed Spoon/Reverse Blade direction/Measuring cup OFF.
  6. Add your turkey stock. Season with salt and pepper. Cook 13 to 15 minutes/100° C/Speed Spoon/Reverse Blade Direction/Measuring cup ON.
  7. Check the texture; if too hard, add more stock and/or cook a few minutes more. It should look quite wet at this stage but don’t worry, the rice will absorb more stock as it sits. Stir in turkey chunks if using and let sit for a few minutes to warm them through. Then stir in butter, coriander and parmesan; serve immediately.

Bon appétit !

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