Monday, April 12, 2010

Veal Piccata It's Not, But...

...it was a good second.

I wanted Veal Piccata for dinner last night. There were only a couple of problems with that desire: first, I didn't have a recipe, and, second (and much bigger), I never buy veal. When you need 5 pounds of meat for a meal, you don't go for the big bucks meats.

So, having a boneless turkey breast available, I made the next best thing: Turkey Piccata. It was easy, it was good, and Thor only got homemade bread crust with the drippings from plates. That's how good it was.

TURKEY PICCATA

1 turkey breast (I used boneless, but use whatever suits you)
2 tbsp butter, frozen
1 cup white wine (I used chablis, but use whatever you have)

2 tsp minced garlic (I cheat and buy it in a jar)
1 lemon, sliced thin
1/2 cup water
another 1/2 cup cold water
2 tbsp cornstarch
fresh parsley

Loosen the skin from the turkey. Cut the butter in thin slices, and tuck it under the skin. Then stuff the minced garlic under the skin. Pat the skin back into place. Put a couple of lemon slices in the pan under the turkey, and distribute the rest over the turkey. Pour the wine over the turkey, cover tightly, and cook at 325F until done. Remove the turkey to a serving platter and let it rest for about 15 minutes, then slice thin. Meanwhile, heat the pan drippings with 1/2 cup water. When it comes to a boil, whisk the cornstarch in with the other 1/2 cup of cold water, and whisk that into the pan drippings. Just before serving, snip some fresh parsley leaves into the sauce, spoon some over the top of the sliced turkey, and serve with pasta.

Notice that I didn't use any salt at all in this recipe, and yet my dearly beloved wolfed it like there was no tomorrow. Also notice that I didn't have any capers to use in this. So, if you have capers, feel free to use them, and get closer to the real "Piccata" experience. Finally, notice that I'm not certain how to spell "Piccata", and Blogger's spell check keeps telling me it's wrong. Phooey!

11 comments:

Christo Gonzales said...

marjie I want this with a big plate of your heart attack taters - it looks great - in fact give me some on a piece of toast with extra gravy!

Big Dude said...

Looks like your lack of veal didn't hurt a bit - it looks delicious.

The Blonde Duck said...

I think this sounds better than veal! I can try it on Ben!

buffalodick said...

Turkey would have more flavor than veal! I like your version better!

pam said...

It does look good! Poor Thor.

Pam said...

Wow - this looks so good. I love chicken piccata, using turkey is a great idea.

Ann Made Studio said...

Oh this looks delicious!

Paula said...

I love seeing new ways to address traditional recipes. Cooking the breast whole and then slicing later is genius. I thought about you yesterday at the library. They were selling some old cookbooks and I snagged a Pierre Franey one. I kept wishing you were there to browse with me. Inside this particular book, the previous owner marked down notes on some of the recipes, and I even found her weekly menu card tucked away inside. I love stuff like that!

Linda said...

Looks good to me.......blogger just can't spell!

SissySees said...

Hmmm... We're not turkey fans, but this might work. Thanks for continuing to share recipes that tempt me out of my comfort zone.

The Blonde Duck said...

I didn't eat that pie--it's just a stock photo. But in Shreveport, the PB pie has a thin layer of chocolate on top that I peel off and give to Ben. The rest is all MINE.