Turkey with Mustard Sauce (the anti-stew)

Oh Andrew, my beloved Andrew, what will we do with you? Despite my attempts to convert him to a pot roast / brisket / stew lover, I have failed. Its not that he doesn't like the flavors, or necessarily all versions of these dishes. He doesn't like mushy vegetables for dinner. Who doesn't love delicious mushy veggies and stringy meat? My husband apparently. 

So, when I came across this recipe on Simply Recipes - Slow Cooked Turkey with Mustard Sauce - it was a little bittersweet. It sounded delightful, but alas it was slow cooked, and that meant it would probably entail some mushy-ness.

But it looked so good!!!! In a stroke of creative genius, I came up with a way around the slow cooking part and decided I would make a deconstructed version of this dish. Deconstruction is all the rage right? On the bandwagon I jumped. I decided that instead of cooking it all together in a slow cooker, I would roast the veggies, braise the turkey, and make the sauce separately. Then I would whip up some brown rice and top it with everything.

It was great. AND Andrew loved it and was pleased with the consistency. A+ for me. Brownie points for wifey. Excellent. (As I am writing this, he is doing the laundry, so I would say he's worth it.)

The turkey takes about 2 hours to cook, and the veggies about one hour. This is a meal that takes a little planning and time, but its worth it. 

Turkey with Mustard Sauce and Seasonal Vegetables

Adapted from Simply Recipes

serves 6

Ingredients

2 turkey thighs, bone in

2 turkey legs (or two additional thighs)

1 cup white wine

salt and pepper

4 tbsp olive oil

6-8 redskin potatoes, diced into 1" pieces

2-3 large parsnips, sliced into 1" pieces

1 lb carrots, sliced into 1" pieces

Sauce

3 cups chicken stock

2 tbsp brown sugar

1/3 cup yellow mustard (just do it)

1 heaping tbsp dry mustard powder

2 tsp chipotle or chili powder

1 large yellow or white onion, chopped

1/4 cup whole grain mustard

6 servings cooked brown rice

Salt the turkey well and set out at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Heat 2 tbsp on medium olive oil in the bottom of a dutch oven. When oil is hot pat the turkey dry with a paper towel and set them skin side down in the hot oil to brown. Let them brown well (3-5 minutes) and turn them over and repeat on the other side. When they are browned, pour in the wine and turn heat to low. Cook until tender, about 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Put potatoes, carrots, and parsnips in a baking pan and oil, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 1 hour (or until nice and roasted), stirring occasionally. 

Place stock in saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes. 

Serve turkey and veggies over rice. Top with a generous helping of sauce.