Honey Roast Turkey Breast Fillet with Roast Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts

The time of year is fast approaching where turkey will feature prominently on menus around the world. Thanksgiving in the United States is less than three weeks away and Christmas less than two months away. While roast turkey is of course the most common turkey dish which will be served, there are a great many alternative turkey recipes which can be prepared, both at Thanksgiving and at Christmas, particularly perhaps when a meal is to be prepared only for one or two people and an entire bird is not feasible.

This very simple turkey recipe uses a half-pound, turkey breast fillet per person and is also much quicker to cook than the traditional turkey dinner.

Ingredients per Person

1 turkey breast fillet
3 medium potatoes
1 tsp liquid honey
Pinch of grated nutmeg
5 Brussels sprouts
1 clove of garlic
Little bit of butter

Method

The potatoes should be peeled, chopped and added to a pot of cold, slightly salted water. They should be put on to a high heat until the water boils, then reduced to a simmer for around ten minutes. They should be parboiled only.

While the potatoes are boiling, the oven should be preheated to 400F/200C/Gas Mark 6. The turkey fillet should be placed on a sheet of foil on a baking tray, large enough that it can be wrapped in to a loose but sealed tent. The fillet should be sprinkled with the nutmeg and then drizzled with the honey. The nutmeg is of course optional, as it is not suited to everyone's tastes. When the turkey has been wrapped in the foil, it should be placed in to the oven for around twenty-five minutes for a half-pound fillet this size. Remember to ensure that the fillet is fully cooked prior to serving.

The potatoes should be drained and added to some cold water to quickly cool them. The sprouts - depending on their size - will take ten to fifteen minutes and should be added to some boiling water after the turkey has been on for about fifteen minutes.

Five minutes before the turkey is due to be ready, the potatoes should again be drained, carefully dried in a clean teatowel and returned to the pot. They should be shaken around carefully with the lid on the pot to fluff up their edges and give them a better finished effect after they have been roasted. They should then be added to a pan or deep fat fryer of hot sunflower oil, for eight to ten minutes, until beautifully golden.

The turkey should be removed from the oven, checked to ensure that it is fully cooked and rewrapped in the foil to rest for a few minutes while the Brussels sprouts and potatoes complete their cooking. The sprouts should be drained and returned to the pot with a little butter and the grated garlic clove. They should be carefully swirled around to ensure a beautiful, garlic butter coating.

The potatoes should be removed from the hot oil and drained on some kitchen paper, before the meal is plated and served.

The Brits Cook Sausages and Bacon

Italian Sausages with Lentils

For the lentils:
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
Sprinkling of salt
2 cups dried Puy lentils (green or black or a mixture)
1 bay leaf
6 sprigs of fresh thyme
½ cup red wine
3 cups stock or water to cover the lentils
Salt and pepper to taste

For the sausages:
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
6 fresh uncooked sweet Italian sausages
½ cup red wine
¼ cup water or stock
Flat-leaf parsley for garnish

1. To cook the lentils, put 2-3 tablespoons of oil into a good-sized pan or a Bram pot over low heat. When it’s warm, add the chopped onion and sprinkle with salt. Cook over a low heat until the onions are soft but not browned, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the lentils, bay leaf, and thyme sprigs, stir well, and cover generously with the red wine and the stock or water. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer gently for 30-50 minutes or until the lentils are cooked and most of the liquid’s absorbed, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste. You can make this ahead. Reheat when you’re ready to proceed.
2. To cook the sausages, add 1-2 tablespoons olive oil and the smashed garlic cloves to a heavy frying pan, and fry for a few minutes. Add the sausages and brown on all sides. Add the wine and stock, bring to a boil, and then turn down the heat, cover the pan and simmer the sausages for about 15 minutes, turning mid-way. When the sausages are done, cut in half on the diagonal, add them to the lentils. Mash the garlic into the remaining liquid and add it to the lentil pot. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt, pepper, or more liquid until it is to your liking.
3. Before serving, reheat the lentil and sausage mixture over low heat. Sprinkle with parsley.

4-6 servings
Adapted from Nigella Lawson’s Nigella Bites

Warm Potato Salad with Garlic Sausage

6 ounces small potatoes or about 12 small potatoes
½ cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock
6 Garlic, Italian or Sicilian fresh sausages, cooked and cut in thick slices
3 ounces Swiss cheese, cut in small cubes
1 tablespoon chopped chervil (if you can find it)
1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
¼ cup chopped chives

Mustard and White Wine Vinaigrette:
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
½ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook the potatoes in boiling water until just soft. (Or steam as in the French Potato Salad on my March 13, 2010 blog). Drain and cut into thick slices. If the potatoes are small, halve or quarter them.
2. Bring the wine and stock to a boil and reduce by two-thirds. Remove from the heat and toss the potatoes into the mix and leave for 10 minutes to infuse.
3. Warm the cooked sausages in a 350ºF oven for 6 minutes in a Bram pot or an ovenproof skillet. Combine the sausages and the potatoes in the pot or skillet.
4. Whisk together the mustard and vinegar. Slowly add the oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour this over the potato mixture; you may not need all of it. Add the cheese and herbs and toss together. Serve the salad in the Bram pot or, if you used a skillet, transfer to a serving bowl. Serve warm.

4-6 servings
Adapted from Simon Rimmer’s Rebel Cook: Bending the Rules for Brilliant Food

Brussels Sprouts and Bacon

1 pound Brussels sprouts
1 tablespoon butter or bacon fat
½ cup thinly sliced bacon or pancetta
Salt and pepper to taste
3-4 tablespoons water, as needed
2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice

1. Shred/slice the Brussels sprouts either by hand or with a food processor. The processor doesn’t do as nice a job as by hand, but it is so fast.
2. Heat the butter in a large, shallow pan. When it is warm, add the sliced bacon and stir until it is soft and cooked through.
3. Add the shredded sprouts and ½ teaspoon salt and pepper. Fry until the sprouts begin to soften. Add the tablespoons of water as needed to help with the cooking and to loosen and incorporate any brown places on the bottom of the pan.
4. The sprouts are ready when they are soft and coated with the bacon juices. Most of the water will have evaporated. Adjust the seasonings. Add the lemon or lime juice just before serving.

4 servings
Adapted from Nigel Slater’s Real Fast Food

Fillet of Pork Tenderloin with Sweet and Spicy Chilli Sauce

Fillet of pork tenderloin is unquestionably my favourite cut of pork and one of my all-time favourite cuts of meat. Although it is possible to cook a fillet of pork tenderloin in the oven, I actually prefer to pan-fry it. This allows me to watch it cook and monitor its progress, so that I know for a fact that it is cooked to perfection.

The first step to preparing this recipe is to prepare the Sweet and Spicy Chilli Sauce. The way in which I like to do this is to prepare it in bulk and freeze it in manageable proportions which can be later defrosted as required. It is very quickly and simply made with a base of one large can of tomatoes and additions of onion, garlic, red chillies, courgette (zucchini,) sugar and seasoning. The link below is to the full sauce recipe in text and pictures.

Sweet and Spicy Chilli Sauce

I have served the sauce warm as opposed to hot (in a temperature sense) with this meal, so preparing the sauce in the first instance, covering it and setting it aside while the other ingredients are prepared should be just about right.

Firstly, the pork tenderloin should be put on to cook. I simply brought a little sunflower oil up to a medium hot temperature in a non-stick frying pan before frying the tenderloin for eight to ten minutes each side. This will vary dependant upon the thickness of the tenderloin but it should be remembered that pork must never be served under-cooked.

The Brussels sprouts should be prepared for cooking while the pork tenderloin is frying on its first side. When the pork tenderloin has been turned, they should be added to some boiling, salted water and simmered for eight to ten minutes, depending upon their size.

When the sprouts are ready, they should be carefully drained through a colander and - if desired - may be lightly buttered before being plated up with the pork tenderloin and the sauce as shown above.

A Note about Brussels Sprouts

Although Brussels sprouts are one of my favourite vegetables, I am aware that they are in general one of the least popular. If you perhaps have trouble getting your family to eat Brussels sprouts - or even are not so keen on them yourself - you may find the book featured below on both Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk to be of interest. It examines not only how nutritious Brussels sprouts are but a great many delicious ways in which to cook them in order to enjoy them at their very best.

Click on the relevant panel below for lots more information or to buy this fabulous book.

Scottish Game Pie with Roasted Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts

The beautiful, sparsely populated areas of Scotland means that Scotland has a very wide range of wild game to choose from. Everywhere from Glen Branter (pictured right) in beautiful Argyll, to the stunning heart of Scotland in Perthshire, to the rugged majesty of the Highlands and more, wild game from pheasant and grouse to the magical red deer can be found aplenty. Most Scottish Game Pie Recipes will include a mixture of the different types of game. My recipe featured and pictured below, however, includes only my own personal favourite: venison.

It is worth pointing out, perhaps, that venison is a word which can actually cause a little bit of confusion on a planetary scale. The word venison is - by literal definition - a generic term, used to apply to the meat of many related mammals such as deer, elk and caribou. (I almost included moose as an example in the previous sentence, before I realised that could really confuse matters as, to many Scots, a "Moose," is a mouse - most definitely not a form of venison!) In Scotland and indeed throughout the UK, however, venison and deer meat will almost always be considered to be synonymous.

This recipe for two people is in no way difficult to prepare but the length of time required to do so is due to the long, slow cooking time required by the venison.

Ingredients

3/4lb diced venison haunch
1/2 medium sized onion (roughly chopped)
6 button mushrooms (halved down through centre)
5oz puff pastry
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 pints fresh beef stock (No, I never get tired of saying it: none of those disgusting little chemical cubes!)
3 large potatoes
14 to 16 Brussels Sprouts
Pinch of nutmeg
Butter
Salt and pepper
A little milk for glazing the pie
Sunflower oil for deep frying

Method

The first step is to cook the venison. Wash any excess blood off it and dry the meat with kitchen towel. Put it in to a large pot along with the onion and brown it over a high heat, stirring continously with a wooden spoon. Add the beef stock (pre-heated) and the thyme and simmer for two to two and a half hours until the venison is tender. The liquid may very well require to be topped up at some point during this period and simple boiling water may be used. The mushrooms should be added at the end of the simmering period, stirred through, the pot covered and the meat allowed to cool.

The oven should be put on to pre-heat to 200C or equivalent. The venison, vegetables and stock should then be transferred to an appropriate pie dish. The pastry should be rolled out to a thickness of between an eighth and a quarter of an inch and placed carefully on top, taking care to seal the edges. The pie should then be glazed with a little milk and a couple of slits made in the top to allow steam to escape during cooking. The pie should be placed in to the hot oven for thrity-five, to forty minutes, until beautifully golden brown.

The potatoes should be peeled, chopped and boiled in salted water for fifteen minutes. After which time, they should be thoroughly drained and added to hot oil for a further ten minutes, until crisp and golden.

The Brussels sprouts should be cleaned and simmered in boiling water for no more than eight to ten minutes, depending on the size of the sprouts. Any longer will see them over-cooked and soggy. One of the main reasons why children don't like Brussels sprouts is that they are forced to eat them in this distasteful fashion. When the Brussels sprouts are thus cooked, they should be drained before being returned to the pot and swirled in a little butter and a pinch of ground nutmeg.

This delicious Scottish Game Pie with roasted potatoes and Brussels sprouts may thereafter be plated up and served, as shown below.



Would you like to find out more about Wild Game and Wild Game Recipes?

There are presently two excellent books available on both Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk featuring lots of great information on everything from how to clean wild game, to how to cook it, to some great recipe suggestions. For your convenience, I have linked to both of them with handy Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk panels below.

Smoked Salmon Fishcakes with Hot Chilli and Tomato Sauce

The considerable health benefits of eating smoked salmon aside, it truly is a delicious way to eat salmon. The natural oils of the fish remain intact and thus the rich, salmon flavour can be enjoyed in full. This smoked salmon fishcake recipe is in the quantities required for two people.

Ingredients

2lb potatoes
6oz smoked salmon trimmings
4 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs
2 beaten eggs
2 tsp freshly chopped basil
1 14oz can of chopped tomatoes in tomato juice
1 small red chilli pepper (very finely chopped)
1/2 tsp caster sugar
16 Brussels sprouts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sunflower oil for frying

Method

The first step is to make the chilli and tomato sauce, as we wish it to accompany the fishcakes having cooled. The tomatoes, chilli, sugar and salt and pepper to taste should be added to a medium sized pot and brought up to a simmer. They should continue to be simmered for around twenty minutes until the tomatoes have really started to break down. The mixture should then be poured in to a sieve over a large bowl and pressed through the sieve with the aid of a wooden spoon. The sieved sauce should then be returned to the pot and brought back to a simmer. Around ten minutes of simmering should reduce it to a fairly thick and lush sauce. It should be covered and set aside to cool while the meal proper is prepared.

The potatoes should be peeled, chopped and added to a large pot of boiling, salted water. They should be cooked until soft (around twenty-five minutes) before being drained and mashed. The smoked salmon should be roughly chopped and added to the potatoes, along with the basil and some seasoning. It is important to be careful with the amount of salt added, however, as a lot of salt will come from the smoked salmon.

A large frying pan should be filled with sunflower oil to a depth of around one and a half inches and brought up to a fairly high heat. The Brussels sprouts should be peeled and added to boiling, salted water, to simmer for no more than eight to ten minutes, depending upon their size.

The breadcrumbs should be placed in one small, flat bowl such as a soup plate and the eggs beaten in another bowl. The fishcake ingredients should be thoroughly mixed together before being divided in to eight equal portions and carefully shaped. Each fishcake should be dipped in the eggwash before being carefully rolled in the breadcrumbs. They should be fried in the oil for about three minutes each side. Note that depending upon the size of your frying pan, it may be necessary to fry the fishcakes in two batches, keeping the first batch warm in a low oven while the second batch cooks.

The chilli sauce should be split between two small serving bowls and placed in the centre of each plate. The fishcakes should be drained on kitchen paper before being arranged around the sauce. The Brussels sprouts may then also be drained and served.

Spicy Cottage Pie with Nutmeg Brussels Sprouts

Cottage Pie in its most basic form is of course minced or ground beef, topped with mashed potato. Usually, however, there will be some vegetables added to the beef. Carrots, peas and onions are popular additions of this type. This Cottage Pie is a little bit more spicy, however, designed to provide a little more heat on a cold Winter's night and I hope that it is something which you will be prepared to try. This is a recipe for two people.

Ingredients

1lb minced/ground beef
1 pint fresh beef stock
1/2lb potatoes
1 small carrot (diced)
1 small onion (very finely chopped)
2 cloves of garlic (very finely chopped)
1 small red chilli pepper (de-seeded and very finely chopped)
20 mini Brussels sprouts or ten larger ones
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Butter
Large pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Method

The beef should be browned in a dry, non-stick pan, before the carrots, onions, garlic, chilli and heated beef stock are added. The mix should be seasoned to taste with salt and freshly black pepper. It should then be simmered for half an hour.

When the beef is simmering, the potatoes should be peeled and chopped and added to a pot of salted, boiling water and simmered for twenty to twenty-five minutes until soft. They should then be drained and mashed with a little butter.

The beef, vegetables and remaining stock should then be placed in to a casserole dish. The potato should first be spooned evenly on top and then smoothed out carefully with a knife. The Cottage Pie should then be placed in to the oven - pre-heated to 400F/200C/Gas Mark 6 - for twenty-five to thirty minutes. It can be browned under the grill for a couple of minutes, prior to serving, if desired.

The small sprouts that I have used here should be simmered in salted water for around eight minutes. larger sprouts will take ten to twelve minutes. It is important not to overcook the sprouts, as this will cause them to turn mushy and most unappealing. They should then be drained and swirled in a little butter and the nutmeg before being served with a portion of Cottage Pie.

Thanksgiving Dinner for One? Turkey, Sprouts and Sweet Potato Alternative

I am of course aware that Thanksgiving in the USA - and some weeks earlier in Canada - is a time for family get-togethers and celebrations with a large roasted turkey and assorted accoutrements. Equally, as many of us should be aware, not everyone is in the position of having a family with whom to gather and some may actually spend the day alone or simply as part of a couple. In such circumstances, the purchase of a whole turkey is not really practical but this in no way means that turkey, sweet potatoes, et al, need be off the menu altogether. It is entirely possible to buy fresh turkey in portions and this turkey and Brussels sprouts stir fry, served on a bed of cinnamon mashed sweet potatoes, could be just the job in such a situation.

Ingredients (per Person)

1/2lb diced turkey thigh
5 or 6 small Brussels sprouts
1/2 small onion (very roughly chopped)
1 medium to large sweet potato
1 clove of garlic (crushed)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Corn or sunflower oil for frying

Method

Peel and chop the sweet potato and add the pieces to boiling, salted water. They will take around twenty minutes to soften.

Bring a wok up to a high heat and add around a tbsp of oil. Stir fry the turkey pieces until they are just sealed and have turned off-white. Remove them from the wok to a plate. There is no need to keep them warm.

Chop off the surplus stalk on the sprouts but be sure to leave enough that the leaves remain held together. Do not put a "+" in the bottom of them as all this achieves is to cause them to fall apart during cooking. Remove any dead outer leaves and wash and dry thoroughly.

Add more oil to the wok if required and stir fry the sprouts only for about five minutes. Keep them moving around the pan and don't allow them to burn. As I like Brussels sprouts crunchy, this is the way I cook them but if you like them a little softer, cut them in half down through the centre prior to frying them.

Next, add the onions and the garlic and stir fry for about another minute before re-adding the turkey to complete its cooking process, along with the soy sauce. This should take no more than another minute or two.

Drain the sweet potatoes and mash them well in a pot or bowl before adding and stirring through the cinnamon. Serve the sweet potatoes on a dinner plate as shown, with the turkey and Brussels sprouts stir fry served on top.

Three Excellent Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Brussels Sprout Chiffonade
Brussels sprouts have grown on me over the years. This one is just great. The slicing takes some time, so if you are doing these for a crowd, get some help.

1 pound Brussels sprouts
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (½ stick)
½ teaspoon cumin seeds, optional
Note: If the rest of your dinner has a lot of strong flavors, you might make your sprouts without the cumin. If it is pretty bland (like roast chicken and mashed potatoes), you might increase the cumin seeds to 1 teaspoon.
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1. Trim Brussels sprouts and halve lengthwise; slice crosswise into very thin slices.
2. Heat the butter in a large sauté pan over moderately high heat until the foam subsides. Add the sprouts, cumin seeds, salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until the sprouts are tender, 3 to 5 minutes. You may want to add 1-2 tablespoons of water to hasten the cooking. The water will disappear and the sprouts will be done.
3. Transfer to a serving bowl. Stir in the lime juice and taste for seasonings, adding more salt and pepper if necessary.

4-6 servings
Adapted from Ruth Reichl’s The Gourmet Cookbook

Six-Spice Squash Purée
This is just incredibly good when the squashes are tender, flavorful, and moist.

1 large (or 2 small to medium) butternut squash, about 2 pounds
Note: The most recent time I used a mix of delicata, butternut, and kabocha.
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons salt or more to taste
1½ teaspoons Spice Mixture (see recipe below)

1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Lightly oil a baking sheet with olive oil or line with parchment paper.
2. Halve the squash lengthwise and remove and discard the seeds. Place the squash cut-side down on the baking sheet and roast until it is soft and easily pierced with a knife, 40-50 minutes. While it is roasting, make the Spice Mixture.
3. Cool the squash for 15 minutes. If the squash looks watery after roasting, squeeze as much of the juice out of it as you can. If it is very dry, be prepared to add a lot more liquid to the mixture (orange or apple juice, stock, even water).
4. Using a large spoon, scoop out the flesh and transfer to a food processor. While the squash is still warm, add the butter, maple syrup, and salt and process until smooth. Add the spice mixture and blend.
Add additional salt or spice mixture to taste.

Spice Mixture

1 tablespoon fennel seed
5 or 6 whole star anise
1 tablespoon aniseed
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground cloves

1. Grind the fennel seed, star anise and aniseed in a coffee or spice grinder.
2. Combine with the cinnamon, pepper, and cloves and set aside. You will have about 1/3 cup. Store the leftovers in a spice jar; label the jar so you don’t forget the contents.

6 servings
Adapted from Matthew Kenney’s Big City Cooking

Cranberry-Walnut Relish with Grappa
There are many wonderful cranberry relishes. I like this one a lot. You can make this ahead of time and add the walnuts a little before serving.

½ cup walnuts
1 tablespoon finely chopped orange zest
Juice of 1 orange and enough water or apple juice to equal 3/4 cup
1 cup sugar
1 12-ounce bag fresh or frozen cranberries
1 tablespoon grappa, optional
½ teaspoon salt or to taste

1. Preheat your oven or toaster oven to 400ºF.
2. Spread the walnuts in a single layer in a shallow metal pan and toast, stirring once, until crisp and lightly browned, about 3 minutes in the toaster oven, 5 to 8 minutes in the big one. Watch the nuts carefully. They can burn in an instant. Cool and coarsely chop.
3. In a medium non-reactive pan, combine the orange juice/water combination and sugar. Set over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the cranberries and simmer, uncovered, stirring once or twice until about half the cranberries have burst, 6 to 8 minutes. Frozen berries will take longer. Transfer to a glass or ceramic container.
4. Stir in the zest, grappa, if using, and salt. Cool to room temperature. The relish will thicken up as it cools.
5. Add the walnuts just before serving. The relish can be used immediately or covered and refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Makes about 2 cups
Adapted from Carrie Brown’s The Jimtown Store Cookbook

Spicy Turkey Breast Steak, Baby New Potatoes and Brussel Sprouts

It is incredible that although turkey is by no means a great favourite of mine, two of the first five recipes included on this blog feature turkey! My local Morrison's supermarket selling turkey at such fantastic prices at the moment can be blamed for this scenario. This recipe, which was quite literally concocted in the supermarket aisle earlier on this evening, is incredibly simple but also incredibly tasty.

Ingredients (Per Person)

1 turkey breast steak fillet (1/2" thick)
5 or 6 baby new potatoes
5 or 6 brussels sprouts
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander
Generous pinch of dried dill
Knob of butter
Salt
Sunflower oil for frying turkey steak

Method

Put the potatoes on whole and unpeeled to boil in some salted boiling water. They will take thirty to thirty-five minutes depending upon their size.

While the potatoes are boiling, mix the dried spices together and spread them out on a plate. Gently dab the turkey breast steak in the spices, ensuring it is evenly coated with same on both sides. Cover and set aside.

Prepare the brussels sprout by chopping off the bottom and removing the loose outer leaves. Do not cut a cross in the base of the sprouts as this will cause them to partially disintegrate during cooking.

When the potatoes are ready, drain them well and put them back in to the pan with a knob of butter and the dried dill leaves. Swirl them gently around, cover and keep warm.

Put the sprouts on to boil in lightly salted boiling water. They should take around twelve to fifteen minutes, depending on their size. It is important not to overcook sprouts as they will become mushy, lose their flavour and lose most of their nutritional value.

Add a little sunflower oil to a frying pan or skillet and bring it up to a medium heat. Fry the spiced turkey breast steak for five minutes each side until cooked.

It is then simply a matter of draining the sprouts and plating up.