Back in the eighties they made a TV movie about a post-apocalyptic world. They called it “The Day After” and anyone who’s surveyed their house, and especially their kitchen, the day after Thanksgiving has lived it. You think you’ll never eat again but by the next afternoon familiar hunger pangs kick in and you’re headed back to culinary ground zero to pick through the leftovers. Enter Turkey Poulette.
Poulet Parisienne
This is a variation on Poulet Parisienne, the chicken dish that is napped in a creamy sherry and mushroom spiked sauce. The Turkey Poulette we now enjoy was invented by the resourceful chefs at the Roosevelt Hotel in order to use up the buffet table turkeys and hams. Their version was a stacked open-faced sandwich consisting of bacon, ham, and turkey topped with a white sauce and cheddar then run under the broiler to brown the cheese.
It’s hot, creamy, and delicious and if you’re not using up your turkey in soup or pot pie it’s definitely the way to go. I leave the ham out of my recipe since we never have it for Thanksgiving and the bacon makes it somewhat redundant, but if you have it and like it, by all means, lay some on.
The Prep
Start out with a slice of sourdough or artisan-style bread, top it with a couple of slices of bacon, put the turkey over that, then pour on the sauce and sprinkle the cheese over it all.
The sauce I have here calls for a little chicken or turkey broth along with the half and half making it more of a velouté than a bechamel. To me, that’s more complex and the teaspoon of vermouth makes it even better. If you don’t have vermouth try the sherry or some leftover white wine, or as a last resort, just tip a shot of your martini into the brew while it’s thickening. (Actually, I’ve always thought that Turkey Poulette would make great drunk food if you’re sober enough to prepare it…)
Under the Broiler
Once assembled I like to put the cookie sheet holding the slices fairly close to the broiler so the cheese will bubble up and brown quickly without causing the sauce to run off the edges. Not that extra sauce is ever bad but the presentation (and consumption) is neater when it’s not swimming in liquid.
Mushrooms on the Side
And although many versions of Turkey Poulette have mushrooms in the sauce here they’re served as a side. That’s for two reasons. One is that many people have strong negative feelings about the humble shroom…..and secondly when they appear in a sauce they cook up kinda gray and rubbery. Cooking them separately allows you to get a nice caramelized brown to both the shallots and the mushrooms.
And since we’re dealing with leftover turkey here you’ll hopefully have for a side some Cranberry Orange Relish Sauce.
So make your sauce, assemble, broil, and enjoy!
- For the sandwich:
- 4 slices of artisan type bread
- 4 slices of turkey breast (or an equal amount of shredded dark meat)
- 8 slices of bacon (thin-sliced, fried crispy)
- For the sauce:
- ¼ cup butter (half stick)
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 4 tablespoons minced shallot (or white onion)
- 1 cup half & half (or whole milk)
- ½ cup broth (chicken or turkey)
- 1 tsp. vermouth (or white wine or wine vinegar)
- salt & pepper to taste
- dash of cayenne
- For the topping:
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- For the mushrooms:
- 2 tablespoons butter or oil.
- 2 medium-sized shallots, sliced
- 1 lb. mushrooms (your fav), sliced
- For the sandwich:
- Lightly toast the bread & arrange it on a baking sheet then cover each slice with two pieces of bacon.
- Place slices of turkey on top of the bacon.
- Cover with several tablespoons of sauce & top with cheese.
- Run under the broiler until the cheese bubbles.
- Can garnish with paprika & parsley if desired.
- For the sauce:
- Melt butter and whisk in flour until smooth & let it bubble for a minute.
- Add minced shallot and let cook for another minute, but don't let the flour brown.
- Gradually whisk in half & half, chicken broth & vermouth and cook on low for a few minutes until thickened. The amount of time will vary depending on how thick you like your sauce.
- For the mushrooms:
- Melt the butter over low heat in a medium-sized pan and cook the shallots until they start to brown then remove.
- Add the sliced mushrooms to the pan and add little more butter or oil if necessary. Saute over medium heat until slightly brown.
- Add the onions back in, stir, season, and serve with the poulette.