Topic: Marinading leftover turkey

[Peripatetic Phil]

I imagine that most of you had your turkey (if you had turkey at all over the holiday) for Christmas, and that it is now long since gone, but we bought ours a couple of days before the New Year because by that time the farms are very keen to sell any leftover stock at a far more reasonable price than they would set in the days leading up to Christmas.  I bought a 5Kg77 free-range white turkey for GBP 20 from a farm in Biddenden, and although we have finished up the breast we still have two whole legs.  So my real question is : do any of you have experience of marinading pre-roasted turkey legs so as to both soften them and to infuse them with BIR flavour ? 

** Phil.

[Malc.]

If by pre-roast you mean uncooked Just treat them the same way you would raw chicken. Joint the leg and then bone it out, marinade and cook in a hot oven.

[Peripatetic Phil]

If by pre-roast you mean uncooked Just treat them the same way you would raw chicken. Joint the leg and then bone it out, marinade and cook in a hot oven.

Sorry, I created confusion Axe : by pre-roast, I meant it had already been roasted (slightly over-roasted, IMHO, but don't tell SWMBO as I wouldn't want to appear ungrateful !).  (Original message modified to read "pre-roasted").

** Phil.

[solarsplace]

Oh Phil

 

Please don't do it!

Curried Turkey is filthy and nasty. Ask yourself why BIR's don't sell any Turkey curries?

I'll tell you why - because it is wrong and dirty, that's why.

Please do some other non-curry thing with them, its for the best.

Cheers

[Peripatetic Phil]

Oh Phil

 

Please don't do it!

Curried Turkey is filthy and nasty. Ask yourself why BIR's don't sell any Turkey curries?

I'll tell you why - because it is wrong and dirty, that's why.

Please do some other non-curry thing with them, its for the best.

Cheers

That certainly echoes my experience to date, but then I never expected to be able to successfully marinade pre-roasted lamb and turn it into a succulent curry, yet on the last occasion I succeeded.

But if I take your warning to heart and abandon this foolish idea, what would you do to make left-over roast turkey legs interesting.  In extremis I can feed them to the foxes, but that seems very disrespectful to the poor turkey who gave his life so that we might eat on New Year's Day.

** Phil.

[Malc.]

Sorry Phil I did wonder if that was the case. As a non Turkey lover I seldom have left overs to make the most of.

Given that Turkey can be dry at the best of times you could look to mince it and turn it into shami/sheek kebabs, perhaps a turkey variant of Keema Peas or as a filling for samosa's maybe?

Other than that, i'd stick to classics like a turkey and leek pie (or pudding) where you'll be able to give back a little moisture to the Turkey. We sometimes cheat with left over chicken adding it to Home Prides White Wine Sauce and serve with rice, maybe that would work with the turkey?

[Peripatetic Phil]

OK, turkey shami kebabs and turkey-and-leek pie both sound promising, but despite Solarplace's well-meant warning I really want to try a "recycled turkey curry", so I shall try marinading some of the leg in lemon juice, yoghurt, g/g & spices and see how I get on.  Wish me luck !

** Phil.

[solarsplace]

OK, turkey shami kebabs and turkey-and-leek pie both sound promising, but despite Solarplace's well-meant warning I really want to try a "recycled turkey curry", so I shall try marinading some of the leg in lemon juice, yoghurt, g/g & spices and see how I get on.  Wish me luck !

** Phil.

Hi Phil

Good luck! - I genuinely hope it turns out to be a successful experiment - if so, please post your secrets.

Regards

[Malc.]

My only reservation is that marinating the already cooked meat will have no effect other than to 'coat' the meat, as the fibres of the cooked meat will not break down as they do for uncooked meat.

But best of luck anyway, Phil.

[George]

although we have finished up the breast we still have two whole legs.  So my real question is : do any of you have experience of marinading pre-roasted turkey legs so as to both soften them and to infuse them with BIR flavour ? 

It's a good question and a worthwhile area for investigation! BIR chicken often tends to be dry (and that's breast meat) so I'd say you could add cooked turkey legs to any curry, as you would pre-cooked chicken and it would probably be almost as good.

As for marinading, there must be hope and scope. Nigel Slater (TV chef) marinaded left over turkey with soy sauce, honey, garlic and a few other things in a recent programme, then roasted it (once more) in the oven for a while, before serving it on a bed of salad. I mean to try his recipe, probably with cooked chicken. I'm sure you could adjust the ingredients of the marinade for a flavour leaning towards a BIR curry.