When you sit down for a big holiday meal, there’s a good chance there’s a stuffed turkey involved. Chef Jason Do of Miku shares a recipe for a turkey dinner on a smaller scale. He cooks up turkey legs which cut down the roasting time and make for a better tasting bird since all the pieces are the same. Chef Do has made this particular dish for the crew at Miku during a holiday staff meal. It was received so well that it’s become a staff favourite. Here is his recipe for the ultimate holiday comfort food.
STUFFING
• 60g ciabatta bread (1.5cm dice)
• 15g butter
• 70g sliced bacon (1cm dice)
• 45g leek (white part only, 0.5cm dice)
• 25g celery (0.5cm dice)
• 55g onion (0.5cm dice)
• 30g shiitake mushrooms (0.5 cm dice)
• 4g sage (chopped)
• 100ml chicken stock
• salt and pepper to taste
TURKEY
• turkey leg, boneless, skin on (2.5lbs)
• soft room temperature butter for basting
• canola oil for searing
STUFFING STEPS
1. Slightly toast the ciabatta bread in a 300°F oven for about 5 minutes. Just enough to dry out most of the bread. Set aside in a mixing bowl.
2. Place butter into a medium size frying pan over medium to high heat.
3. Once the butter has melted, add in the bacon. Fry the bacon and render out the fat. The edges should be slightly crispy.
4. Add in the onions, celery and leeks. Continue to sauté the ingredients until the onions turn translucent.
5. Add in shiitake mushrooms and continue to sauté for about 5 mins.
6. Turn off the heat and add the sage and toss it through.
7. Add the sautéed vegetables to the bowl with the ciabatta bread.
8. Add in the chicken stock and thoroughly mix all the ingredients together. The goal is to have all that bread soak up all the flavours of the stock and vegetables.
9. Season the mix with salt and pepper to taste.
10. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
TURKEY STEPS
1. Place the turkey leg on your cutting board skin side down.
2. Butterfly the turkey leg so it becomes as flat as possible.
3. Place a sheet of plastic wrap on top and then using a meat mallet pound and even out any other areas of the turkey legs to get it to about 2–3cm thickness.
4. Lightly season the inside of the turkey leg with salt and pepper.
5. Spread the stuffing over the meat, leaving a half-inch border.
6. Roll turkey leg with the stuffing to form a long cylinder, try to keep the stuffing in the centre of the leg as you roll. To get a more uniform shape, place the leg onto a long piece of plastic wrap and roll it again to hold its shape.
7. Twist the two ends of the plastic wrap to tighten the leg and tie them off with string or butcher’s twine.
8. Place in the fridge for about 3 hours or overnight.
9. Preheat your oven to 375°F.
10. Unwrap the leg from the plastic wrap being very careful to keep the cylinder shape.
11. Using string or butcher’s twine tie off the turkey leg in 5 spots.
12. Season the turkey with salt and pepper on all sides.
13. Put canola oil in a hot pan and sear the turkey on all sides to get a nice golden colour.
14. Remove the turkey from the pan and place it into the oven for about 1.5 to 2 hours or until the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 165°F.
15. Using a brush, be sure to baste the turkey with room temperature butter every 20 to 30 mins.
16. Once it is done let the turkey rest for about 10 to 15 minutes so that the juices can be absorbed back into the meat.
17. Remove the string and slice the turkey into about 3 cm slices.
18. Serve alongside your favorite holiday vegetables and your own house-made gravy.
Also, check out Aburi at Home for the ultimate take out experience.
