Farmhouse Turkey and Vegetable Chowder
Chef Bernard’s Farm House Turkey, Vegetable Chowder
Roasted Garlic, Spinach Pesto
Serves 8
Farm house Turkey, Vegetable Chowder
A:
½ Cup Oil
1 medium Onion, Peeled, large dice
4 cloves garlic, peeled, chopped fine
2 large carrots, peeled, large dice
3 stalks of celery, washed, large dice
2 cups Green cabbage, 2 inch dice
1 cup frozen vegetable mix
B:
2 tbsp Dried Basil
1 tbsp dried Oregano
1 tsp dried Thyme
1 tsp Poultry seasoning
1 tbsp Salt
1 tsp ground Black Pepper
C:
1 can Crushed Tomatoes 396 ml
2 quarts Chicken or Turkey stock
D:
2 cups Potatoes, peeled, large dice
E:
½ cup oil or reserved turkey drippings….
1.5 lbs Turkey meat
1 tbsp poultry seasoning
1 tbsp dried tarragon
1tbsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
Method:
Assemble all ingredients and equipment.
In a large, heavy bottomed soup pot, over medium high flame, heat the oil from A:, add the onions and garlic, sauté briefly, add the remaining ingredients of A: continue to cook until the vegetables are bright in color, and smell great!
Add the ingredients of B:, stir and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the ingredients of C:, mix very well, ensuring that any caramelized bits are scraped off of the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, taste, adjust seasoning if required. Do not be afraid of salt!
After ½ hr of simmering, add D: and continue to cook.
In a separate heavy bottomed sauté pan, heat the oil from E: until just below the smoking point. Combine all the remaining ingredients, mix well, and CAREFULLY add them to the heated sauté pan. Take great care not to splash hot oil on yourself. Stir fry the turkey until a rich golden brown color has been achieved.
Add the turkey to the soup pot, and carefully de-glaze(wash) the pan using some of the soup stock and pour all of that goodness into the soup pot.
Continue cooking the soup for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Taste the soup again, adjust the seasoning if need.
Final service: Ladle the soup into a heated soup bowl, and place a dollop of the Roasted Garlic, Spinach Pesto on top of the soup. Serve with your favourite bread, biscuit or dinner roll.
Chef’s tip:
For the vegetables in this recipe, use what mother nature is supplying you at the moment. If you like it, put it in the mix. Use fresh herbs during the season. Remember to use 3 times the amount of fresh to dried herbs (1 tbsp dry basil =3 tbsp minced fresh basil) And most importantly, have fun.
Enjoy!
Chef Bernard Casavant
C.C.C.