Men's Journal

Turkey Gumbo Photo credit: Chris Granger

Three recipes that will put that turkey sandwich to shame.

By David Ramsey

Black Friday, for us, isn’t about shopping. It’s all about the aftermath of excess: nursing hangovers, patching up in-law spats, and figuring out what to do with the leftovers. We asked acclaimed chef John Besh, author of the new cookbook My New Orleans, how to turn those Thanksgiving extras into dishes as tasty as the Thursday spread. “I’m all about using whatever is at your fingertips,” Besh says. He couldn’t help us with the in-laws, but these New Orleans–accented creations will make gourmet magic out of holiday gluttony.

Turkey Gumbo (serves 8–10)

This gumbo is such a hit at besh’s household, they’ve taken to cooking an extra turkey for this day-after special. While any turkey carcass will do, Besh suggests a smoked one: “And I love using lard or even rendered duck fat instead of vegetable oil.”

Ingredients

1 turkey carcass, with all the meat removed • 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or duck fat or lard) • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour • 2 onions, diced • 2 stalks celery, chopped • 1 green bell pepper, diced • 1 small can diced tomatoes • 1 lb andouille sausage, diced • 1/2 lb smoked pork sausage, chopped • 1 clove garlic, minced • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce • 2 tbsp creole or Cajun seasoning • 2 bay leaves • 2 cups okra, diced • meat from whole turkey, roughly chopped • 1/2 cup chopped green onions • Tabasco • 1 qt rice

HOW TO: For the roux, heat oil in a pot over medium-high heat, add flour, and allow it to slowly brown; stir constantly for half an hour. Once brown, lower heat to medium and cook slowly until it looks like dark chocolate. Add onions and stir well. After 5 minutes, add celery, bell pepper, tomatoes, sausages, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes before adding carcass and covering with water. Allow to boil before lowering heat to a simmer, then add Worcestershire, creole seasoning, bay leaves, and okra. Simmer for 1.5 hours, occasionally skimming fat off the top. Remove carcass, add meat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper, green onions, and Tabasco to taste. Serve over rice.

Sweet Potato Soufflé with Sticky Rum Goo (serves 8 )

Photo by Chris Granger

This is for your leftover sweet potatoes. “It’s a user-friendly soufflé,” says Besh. “Because of the potato’s fiber, it probably won’t deflate. If it rises, you’re a rock star. If not, it still tastes great!”

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups milk • 3 oz sugar • 1 vanilla bean, skinned, split, scraped • 3 tbsp flour • 1 pinch salt • 3 sweet potatoes, roasted and mashed • 2.25 oz softened butter • 6 egg yolks • 9 egg whites For Rum Goo: 1 lb butter • 2-1/2 lbs brown sugar • 1 cup corn syrup • 2 cups heavy cream • 1 cup rum

HOW TO: Mix milk, sugar, and vanilla in a sauce pot and bring to a boil. Strain and cool. In a saucepan, add mixture to flour and salt and bring to a boil, stirring until thick. Pull off heat and add sweet potatoes, butter, and egg yolks. Fold in egg whites.

Pour mix into ramekins dusted with egg whites. Bake at 350˚ for 20 minutes. For Sticky Rum Goo, combine ingredients and bring to a rolling boil, then cool and drip on top of soufflés.

Slow-Cooked Turkey Grillades and Grits (serves 6-8)

Photo by Chris Granger

This creole staple is leftovers; as Besh puts it, “grillades — or debris — are best made out of scraps.” Spoon the meat into a sliced baguette for a classic New Orleans po’boy, or, as seen here, serve over creamy grits for a succulent brunch dish. If you’re in the “what’s a grit?” crowd, don’t fear: It’s just as delicious over pasta.

Ingredients

3 lbs turkey, deboned and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices • salt, black pepper • 2 cups flour • 1 tsp creole spices • 1/4 cup rendered bacon fat • 1 large onion, diced • 1 stalk celery, diced • 1/2 bell pepper, diced • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 2 cups canned diced tomatoes • 2 cups chicken broth • leaves from 1 sprig fresh thyme • 1 tsp crushed red-pepper flakes • 1 bay leaf • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce • Tabasco

HOW TO: Season turkey with salt and pepper. Whisk flour with creole spices in a medium bowl. Dredge turkey in seasoned flour and shake off excess. Melt bacon fat in a large skillet over high heat. Fry turkey cutlets, several at a time, until brown. Set cutlets aside and continue making sauce. Reduce heat to medium high, add onions to same skillet, and cook, stirring until onions are a deep mahogany color, about 20 minutes. Add celery, bell pepper, and garlic; reduce heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of leftover seasoned flour into skillet and stir into vegetables. Increase heat to high, stir in tomatoes and chicken broth, and cook until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and stir thyme, pepper flakes, bay leaf, and Worcestershire into vegetables. Add turkey and cover; simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and Tabasco, and serve with creamy grits, over pasta, or on a baguette.

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This article originally appeared in the November 2009 issue of Men’s Journal.

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