Turkey is not just for roasting or stuffing but can be used in a variety of dishes that asks for a meat source such as beef, pork or chicken. The Classic Tortiere is made with ground pork, however with staying with the ingredients of the season I decided to make a Turkey Tortiere. Luckily, I had filling left over from my Festive Empanada order which helped in cutting down on the prep time. After letting the pie crusts thaw, in less than an hour my husband and I sat down to enjoy a slice of this delicious Turkey Tortiere paired with Roasted Sweet Potatoes.
For the filling
1 1bs turkey breast
2 carrots
2 celery stalks
1 onion, cut in half
4 whole bay leaves
1 cup water
1 tsp sage
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp basil
salt
pepper
olive oil
1. Preheat oven to 500F.
2. Lay the carrots, celery stalks, onion halves and bay leaves on the bottom of a large roasting pan.
3. Place the turkey breast on top of the vegetables. Bathe in olive oil and season with the sage, thyme, salt and pepper.
4. Boil water and immerse 1 cube of chicken stock in a cup of boiled water. Pour into the bottom of the pan.
5. Place the roasting pan, uncovered for 30 minutes at 500F to allow the skin of the turkey to crisp up.
6. Baste the turkey with the juices from the bottom of the pan, cover with foil or lid and continue roasting for 1 hours at 375F.
7. Check the temperature of the turkey. It should be 80C to 85C. You might have to roast for another 30 to 45 minutes to achieve the heat needed.
8. Set aside and shred the turkey when cool to the touch.
9. Meanwhile work on the stuffing.
1 cup brown rice
100g of bacon, sliced thin
1 onion, diced
8 cups boiled water
1/2 tsp sage
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp basil
200g chopped pecans
150g dried cranberries
150g shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1. Brown the bacon in a deep pan or dutch oven until the fat of the bacon is slightly rendered. Add 1/8 cup water to the pan so the bacon doesn't stick to the pan.
2. Add the diced onion, sage, thyme and basil and saute for 5 to 7 minutes on a medium high heat.
3. Next, add the rice and 4 cups of the boiled water. Allow the broth to come to a boil, lower heat and leave the rice to simmer for 45 minutes. At 20 minutes into simmering add another 4 cups of water because the rice will have sucked up most of the water.
4. At the 45 minute mark add the pecans and shredded cheese. Turn off the heat and combine well until the rice becomes smooth and creamy. Stir in the cranberries at the very last minutes. Set aside.
Assembling of the Tortiere
2 cups turkey filling
2 pie shells
1 cup vegetable puree
1/2 cup boiled water
You can make the filling ahead of time, even a day or two ahead as I did for my empanadas.
1. Remove all of the vegetables from the roasting pan along with the turkey juices making sure to strain any unwanted bits from the juices. Place all the ingredients in a blender, add 1 cup of boiled water and puree. If the vegetable puree is too thick add another cup of boiled water.
2. Combine the brown rice stuffing with the shredded roasted turkey breast.
3. To add moistness to the tortiere add 1 cup of vegetable puree and 1/2 cup of boiled water into the filling. Stir together to combine.
4. Preheat oven to 400F.
5. Fill one pie shell with the turkey filling and cover with another pie shell. Brush the top of the tortiere with an egg wash so that your tortiere has a nice shine. Cut four slits in the middle of the pie shell on top in a cross design to make a vent.
6. Bake for 30 minutes. Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. I served this delicious tortiere with roasted sweet potatoes.
Nutritional Analysis
|
Serving Size 649 g
|
|
Amount Per Serving
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Carbohydrates
43.7g
15%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Vitamin A 70% | • | Vitamin C 22% |
| Calcium 7% | • | Iron 19% |
|
|
|
* Based on a 2000 calorie diet
|
