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If it’s Thanksgiving – it’s Turkey

Food Styling by Carol Stuart Buttle. Photography by Edward Bottone
EB

Edward Bottone

Edward Bottone is a food and lifestyle journalist, a former chef and restaurateur, TV and radio presenter, and culinary educator.

The turkey is the all-American bird for the all-American holiday.

If it is Thanksgiving — it is turkey.

Meddle with the Christmas menu if you must. Have ye olde English goose or ham, a standing rib roast, a baron of lamb, a brace of ducks, a crown of roast of pork — but don’t mess with turkey on Thanksgiving.

The turkey is a weird and improbable bird. It is among the more bizarre-looking creatures that we are willing to eat. First, there is that bald bluish head, then the caruncle, that brightly colored growth about the throat that turns scarlet when aroused by threats or signaling amorous intentions. This appealing pastiche includes the snood and wattle, flaps of skin over the beak and under the “chin,” that behaves in the same alarming manner.

While domesticated birds don’t fly, the wild turkey has been clocked at 55 miles an hour in flight and 25 on the ground. The turkey has keen auditory skills but no ears, can detect movement a hundred yards away, and has a poor sense of smell but a well-developed sense of taste.

The turkey is the all-American bird for the all-American holiday. It was sufficiently emblematic that Ben Franklin cast his lot with the turkey as a contender for National Bird. When, along with a lot of Masonic symbolism, the bald eagle was adopted by Congress as part of the Great Seal in 1782, Ben objected, claiming the turkey to be far more appropriate and respectable than the Bald Eagle — a bird “of bad moral character.” The turkey, on the other hand, was “a true original of North America” and, although “a little vain & silly,” was “a Bird of Courage.” Franklin had it right. The perfect bird for America — then and now. Courageous, but, from time to time, a little vain and silly says it all. With its extravagant plumage, impressive size, propensity to noisily panic, and with awkward, spindly legs given to trotting, the turkey would have done the Great Seal proud.

The turkey is the all-American bird for the all-American holiday.

Turkey love, whether based on a predisposition for the bizarre, knee-jerk tradition, Rockwellian sentimentality, or those turkey sandwiches and other delights made from the inevitable leftovers, triumphs over any considerations to the contrary. If it is Thanksgiving — it is turkey! A slotted spoon.

Turkey Red Flannel Hash with Bacon

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This delicious Turkey Red Flannel Hash with Bacon is a flavorful combination of red potatoes, beets, and leftover turkey. Topped with fried eggs, it’s a memorable meal. The vibrant seasoning of thyme and smoked paprika takes this to the next level.

A “hash” is a dish made by chopping up and cooking a mix of ingredients, typically leftovers, into a cohesive and flavorful meal. The name comes from the French word hacher, meaning “to chop,” which reflects the process of cutting ingredients into small, uniform pieces.

  • Servings Serves 4

Ingredients

For the hash:

  • 227g (8 oz) bacon, cut crosswise into 1.3 cm (1/2-inch) pieces
  • 1 medium red onion, chopped
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into small dice
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme, or to taste
  • 680 grams (1 1/2 pounds) small red potatoes, skin on, medium dice, boiled until just tender
  • 3 large red beets, scrubbed, cooked*, peeled, cut into medium dice
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon white pepper, or to taste
  • 710 ml (3 cups) leftover turkey, shredded
  • 2 tablespoons or so parsley, chopped
  • Hot sauce, to taste

For serving:

  • Toasted multi-grain bread slices
  • Poached or sunny-side-up eggs

*Roasted or microwaved, as time allows. Or use canned beets in water.

Preparation

  1. For the hash: In a cast iron skillet or non-stick pan large enough to hold all of the ingredients, cook bacon until crisp, and drain on paper towels. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat; reserve the rest. Add onion and bell pepper to pan and cook, stirring until onions begin to color. Add garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about a minute or so. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

2. Add some of the reserved bacon fat to the pan and heat over medium. Add potatoes and beets to the skillet, season with salt, and let brown, stirring once or twice. Mix in onions and peppers, season with smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, and white pepper. Press into a flattened, even layer, and continue to brown. (If serving with eggs, now is the time to start cooking them.)

3. Flip the hash with a spatula, add turkey, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the hash is browned, crusty, and heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in bacon and parsley. Season to taste with hot sauce. Serve immediately with toasted bread and eggs.

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Edward Bottone

Edward Bottone is a food and lifestyle journalist based in Philadelphia, whose works have appeared in Philadelphia Magazine, The Bermudian, London Times Express, Islands Magazine, and the online magazine Table Matters where he was also Editor. He has also published academic papers on Tourism and Taste.

He is a former chef and restaurateur with establishments in Philadelphia and Bermuda, a TV and Radio presenter, and Assistant Professor teaching a range of courses, including Gastronomy and Culture, at Drexel University and Delaware Valley University. Reach him at curiouscook77@gmail.com

Courtesy photo

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