This turkey loaf is an Italian Jewish recipe; Giuliana Ascoli Vitali-Norsa suggests that it will work well for Yom Kippur or Purim. It's also the sort of dish you can make ahead if you know you are going to be busy for several days. To serve 12 you'll need:
Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 2 hours
Ingredients:
- The front half of a turkey, weighing about 4 1/2 pounds (2 k)
- 6 eggs
- A pound (500 g) ground veal
- Salt, pepper, and a hint of garlic
- A little (1/4 teaspoon) freshly ground nutmeg
Preparation:
Begin by hard boiling three eggs. Next, carefully make an incision up the back of the turkey to cut the skin, and skin the bird, taking care not to tear any holes in the skin (if the skin tears along the wings, sew up the tears). Cut the meat from the bones, selecting the best and cutting it into filets. Grind the remaining trimmings with the veal. Once you have ground, take the turkey bones, together with beef bones, a piece of beef (if you want), and the requisite herbs -- onion, carrot, and celery -- and make broth to cook the turkey loaf in.
Now turn you attention to the filling: combine the ground meat, the remaining three eggs and the nutmeg, and season everything to taste with salt and pepper. Next, peel a clove of garlic and rub it over the turkey skin, which you should spread out on your work surface. Once you have rubbed, lay down the turkey filets lengthwise, then a layer of ground meat, then a layer formed of the hard-boiled eggs cut in half, then another layer of ground meat, and then sew up the skin, using cotton thread and making sure to seal up any tears that may have formed. You will thus have a large meat loaf; poke it with a thick needle to let out any air that might be trapped within.
Let the broth cool before you settle the turkey loaf into it; if you want to be absolutely certain the loaf won't split as it cooks place it in a clean muslin bag. Bring the pot to a simmer and cook the loaf for 2 1/2 hours, then remove it, sandwich it between two plates, put a weight on the upper one, and let it cool. Then slice it and serve it, with the sauces of choice.
Yield: 12 servings turkey loaf.
Now turn you attention to the filling: combine the ground meat, the remaining three eggs and the nutmeg, and season everything to taste with salt and pepper. Next, peel a clove of garlic and rub it over the turkey skin, which you should spread out on your work surface. Once you have rubbed, lay down the turkey filets lengthwise, then a layer of ground meat, then a layer formed of the hard-boiled eggs cut in half, then another layer of ground meat, and then sew up the skin, using cotton thread and making sure to seal up any tears that may have formed. You will thus have a large meat loaf; poke it with a thick needle to let out any air that might be trapped within.
Let the broth cool before you settle the turkey loaf into it; if you want to be absolutely certain the loaf won't split as it cooks place it in a clean muslin bag. Bring the pot to a simmer and cook the loaf for 2 1/2 hours, then remove it, sandwich it between two plates, put a weight on the upper one, and let it cool. Then slice it and serve it, with the sauces of choice.
Yield: 12 servings turkey loaf.
