When the Raison d’Etre is Leftovers - No. 314

Creamed turkey on egg bread is reason to roast a bird

Chicken (or Turkey) on Egg Bread from my book, Baking in the American South. Photo: Rinne Allen.

THANKSGIVING IS ABOUT TURKEY, yes, but it’s more about future meals.

I look at the traditional menu, and while dressing, gravy and sweet potatoes are all very nice, there’s something about Turkey Tetrazzini with a hint of sherry that makes my heart sing.

Or a pot of turkey soup simmering while we pull Christmas decorations from the attic, and the whole house smells cozy and aromatic. We eat it from big bowls in front of the fireplace. And then there is white bean chili.

And day-after Thanksgiving sandwiches. I like mine on soft white or sourdough bread, crusts trimmed off, with a spread of mayo, something sweet like cranberry sauce or pickles, and a good grinding of pepper. Or I love a good turkey and white cheddar with cranberry sauce grilled on wheat or rye.

But the piece de resistence, really, and the subject of this post, is Turkey (or Chicken) on Egg Bread. You make this unctuous sauce of sautéed celery and onion (leftover from making dressing), add broth and cream, and let it all simmer down until thickened. Spoon it over the bits of leftover turkey piled onto hot cornbread.

The turkey grilled cheese. Photo: Getty.

Creamed chicken (or turkey) on egg bread is a Nashville recipe first prepared at a downtown restaurant called Kleeman’s. The best I can gather from old newspaper clippings is that Kleeman’s opened in the early 1920s and was in its heyday in the 1940s and ‘50s. It was known for the chicken on egg bread as well as a grated apple pie flavored with orange juice and nutmeg.

Egg bread is an old term for cornbread that’s been made with eggs. But in this recipe, it’s different. The result is a creamy and wet cornbread, never dry. First, you whisk cornmeal into hot water and milk, and then add eggs, buttermilk, and leavening. It’s baked, cut into squares, topped with chicken or turkey and the warm sauce is poured over.

I just made this recipe again last week because I had roasted a small turkey for sandwiches and had leftovers! And I can tell you, this recipe is appreciated before Thanksgiving, after, or any time of the year! Because I roasted the turkey instead of stewing chicken in the original recipe, I substituted some turkey stock I had in the freezer. And you can absolutely use chicken broth.

Gathering in a 19th Century French coffee house. Photo of illustration: Getty.

Every table is a community. Even small tables.

I don’t have solutions for what seems to be a broken world. But I do have recipes. Right now I am healing myself by cooking (and writing about) food. I’m also sharing food with people I love.

I actually stole that phrase—‘’every table is a community’’—from super-chef Jose Andres who founded World Central Kitchen. His culinary teams have traveled the globe to feed people recovering from war, floods, and all kinds of despair. He has seen first hand how food brings people together at the table.

Our problems seem too large for solving all at once, but we can build love in small ways by making nice food for others this Thursday and everyday.

How are you celebrating Thanksgiving this year? What are you cooking? How are you feeling?

We’re told that beauty is in the details—flowers on the table, a blessing recited by a child, cranberry sauce to everyone’s liking, warm pecan pie for dessert, etc. And I say, yes, all that is true, plus beauty is always found in the leftovers.

Happy Thanksgiving, or if you’re outside the United States, have a very happy Thursday!

- xo, Anne

THE RECIPE:

Creamed Turkey on Egg Bread

This recipe is traditionally made with white cornmeal. But if that’s hard to find, use yellow cornmeal. You control the texture of the egg bread by the cornmeal you use. Coarse meal will make a drier egg bread while a more finely milled cornmeal will be softer. Pre-measure the cornmeal before whisking it into the hot liquid because it will get lumpy if you don’t add it all at once.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Prep: 40 to 45 minutes

Bake: 22 to 27 minutes

Egg Bread:

2 1/4 cups white cornmeal, divided use

1 cup whole milk

1 cup water

2 cups buttermilk

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Cream Sauce:

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour blend

4 cups (1 quart) turkey or chicken broth

3/4 cup (6 ounces) heavy cream

Seasonings to taste: onion salt, paprika, chicken base, salt and pepper

Turkey:

4 cups sliced roasted turkey or chicken

Garnish:

Finely chopped parsley

1. Make the eggbread: Place a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat the oven to 400ºF.

2. Measure 2 cups cornmeal and set it aside. Bring the milk and water to a boil in a medium saucepan. When boiling, quickly whisk in the cornmeal to make a mush. It will be stiff. Turn off the heat.

3. Whisk together the buttermilk and baking soda in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs, and salt and blend with an electric mixer on low to just combine. Drop the mush, bit by bit, into the egg mixture, and beat on low until just smooth.

4. Place a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, and pour in the oil. When it is smoking hot, turn off the heat. Pour the oil into the bowl with the cornmeal mixture, stirring constantly, and fold in the remaining 1/4 cup cornmeal. Carefully pour the batter back into the hot skillet, and place the skillet in the oven. Bake until lightly browned and it springs back slightly when pressed in the center, 22 to 27 minutes. Set aside. It will be soft and jiggly, not as firm as cornbread

5. Make the sauce: Place the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the celery and onion, and saute until soft, about 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the flour until blended. Add the broth and cream, and whisk to combine. Cook over medium-low to low heat, at a simmer, until the sauce reduces by half, which will take 25 to 30 minutes. Season with salt and paprika or a dab of chicken base, however you like. You can also add a pinch of nutmeg.

6. To serve, cut the eggbread into squares and place in a shallow bowl. Pile turkey on top, and spoon over a generous amount of warm sauce. Garnish with the parsley and serve at once.