Turkey Stew

Browning the turkey

1. The tastiest turkey stew is made from the “dark” meat – leg meat trimmed of bones, cartilage and skin. Choose low-starch potatoes so the pieces stay whole. For aroma and flavor, use red bell pepper and celery stalks.

2. Trim the meat of bones, cartilage and skin, removing everything unnecessary, especially the “needles” of cartilage – there are lots of them and they’re easy to spot. You can also buy it ready-trimmed.

   

   Cut the turkey into pieces of 25–30 grams each.

3. Heat 1 tbsp each of olive oil and butter in a frying pan – this mix of fats gives the dish great flavor and aroma. Fry the turkey pieces in it over medium heat until they start to brown – literally 10 minutes. Then season the meat with salt and pepper.

   

Vegetables and simmering

1. Really, onion, carrot and potatoes are all you need for a turkey stew; any other vegetables are optional. It’s handy to prep the vegetables while the meat is browning.

2. Cut the vegetables. Peel the potatoes and carrot and cut them into slices about 5–6 mm thick – I use a crinkle cutter. Cut the onion into thick strips and the celery into cubes. The red bell pepper is best cut lengthwise into strips – that way the pieces won’t fall apart in the sauce and will stay whole.

   

3. You can mix all the vegetables in a bowl, then tip them into the pan and stir them in with the meat.

4. Add 1–2 bay leaves and 100 ml water. If the vegetables are very juicy, you usually don’t need to add water, but in our case a little is needed.

6. Stir the stew, bring the liquid to a boil and cover the pan with a lid. Turn the heat down to the minimum – you want a gentle simmer.

   

   Simmer the stew, covered, for 30–40 minutes, depending on how tough the meat is. What matters is that the turkey turns out tender, while the vegetables are cooked through but keep their shape.

   There isn’t much liquid in the dish – as the vegetables soften slightly, it becomes a lightly thickened sauce. The sauce usually isn’t thickened with anything; the onion and celery give it body.

7. If you like, take the lid off for 10 minutes and turn up the heat to let the excess moisture evaporate.

   

Serving

1. Spoon the finished stew into deep plates or bowls and pour the sauce over the top. I recommend sprinkling it with a little parsley or finely chopped green onion before serving. If you like spicy food, add a little very finely chopped chili.

2. Serve hot with fresh bread. By the way, since the stew has the consistency of a thick soup, it’s best served with both a fork and a spoon.

   You can also add chili while it’s cooking. Besides the vegetables suggested here, you can use zucchini, eggplant or fresh tomatoes – in that case you won’t need to add any liquid. For more aroma, use dried herbs, and for a nice color, sweet paprika.