When I went to the grocery store last month it was slim pickings in the meat aisle but I managed to snag a small, whole, frozen turkey. I used that turkey to make four meals for our family: Turkey Potpie for ten servings (two meals), Turkey Salad and Soup Broth for use in another recipe.
| Ingredients: 1 4-lb turkey, whole 1 tsp salt Water Vegetable scraps 2 celery stalks, chopped 2-3 large carrots, chopped 6 saffron threads (optional) | Potpie dough: 2 cups flour 1/2 tsp salt 2 eggs 2-3 Tbsp water 1 Tbsp butter, melted Serves 8-10 |
I make this recipe throughout the year but something about having it in the Spring just feels right. It’s so fresh! It’s also a very inexpensive, hearty meal.
I use vegetable scraps in my recipe to make the broth. As I chop vegetables for other meals, I save the scraps by storing them in a freezer bag in my freezer. For soup stock, I save the leafy greens and ends from celery, onion peels, carrot peels and ends, and parsley stems.
Fill a large soup pot with enough water to cover turkey. Add salt and vegetable scraps. Cook for 3 hours or until meat falls easily off the bone. Remove turkey and set aside to cool. Meanwhile use a colander over a large bowl to strain the vegetable scraps from the broth. Save the broth.
Once the turkey is cool enough to touch, remove turkey and discard the bones and skin. Separate the meat into 1- to 2-inch pieces. I saved about half of the turkey for turkey salad and placed in the refrigerator for later this week. I also saved about half of the soup broth and put in a freezer-safe container to use next time I need broth.
Pour the remaining broth back into the soup pot. Add the chopped celery, carrots and saffron. Bring to a low boil. Meanwhile make the potpie dough.
Mix the flour and salt. Make a well in the flour mixture and add the eggs and water. Pour in the melted butter. Bring the mixture together then work it into a stiff dough. Roll out the dough as thin as possible. I bought Mr. Doughmaker a pasta maker for Christmas a few years ago and it works really well on this stiff dough but a rolling pin will do the trick. Our little helpers enjoy using the pasta maker too!
Using a pizza wheel, cut the dough into 1-inch square-ish pieces. Drop into boiling soup. Add the turkey back in and cook about 5-10 more minutes.
Serve – preferably with a fresh loaf of bread.
Having grown up in a family of hunters I speak from experience, when I tell you squirrel and rabbit meat also work well in this recipe.
Yaaasssss! Love this slippery potpie recipe!! Thanks for the tipS on making your own broth and saving the extra!