Turkey in wine sauce
2 servings
60 minutes
Turkey in wine sauce is a refined dish of American cuisine, perfect for cozy dinners and special occasions. It features tender turkey fillet first browned in olive oil and then simmered in a rich wine sauce with tomatoes, thyme, and spices. A key moment is flambéing with cognac, adding caramel notes to the meat. The finishing touch includes caramelized pearl onions and white mushrooms that add depth of flavor. The sauce is thick and rich, while the turkey remains juicy and aromatic. This dish pairs excellently with mashed potatoes or fresh baguette.
1
First, you need broth. It's simple: half an onion, a small carrot, a celery stalk, 2-3 peppercorns, 300-400 ml of water. Once it boils, reduce the heat and let it simmer. Good for health, as they say.
- Onion: 0.5 piece
- Carrot: 1 piece
- Black peppercorns: 3 pieces
- Celery: 1 stem
- Water: 400 ml
2
While the broth is boiling, wash the turkey fillet, dry it well (this is very important, otherwise it will float in the water while frying), and cut it into large pieces.
- Turkey fillet: 500 g
3
Heat olive oil in a pan (can't do without it), heat it well, add turkey to the oil and wait for a minute, occasionally lifting the fillet with a spatula to prevent sticking. Then flip it over, season with pepper (and salt), reduce the heat and cook covered for 10 minutes.
- Extra virgin olive oil: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste
- Salt: to taste
4
Now the most dangerous part: lifting the lid, you need to pour 60 ml of cognac over the turkey and set it on fire. I was very afraid of this moment due to various warnings and the likelihood of walking around with singed eyebrows, so I lit it with a long skewer. It turned out to be not so scary at all. The cognac ignited gently with a blue flame, and in the meantime, I shook the pan a little until it went out.
- Cognac: 60 ml
5
You can turn off the broth, quickly remove the vegetables and add red dry wine (a glass), tomato paste (a tablespoon; I used fresh crushed tomatoes, so I added a bit more), thyme (a small sprig), a clove of garlic (crushed, of course), and a bay leaf to the turkey. Cover it all, bring to a gentle boil and simmer for about 30 minutes.
- Red dry wine: 1 glass
- Tomato paste: 1 tablespoon
- Garlic: 1 clove
- Thyme: 1 stem
- Bay leaf: 1 piece
6
It's time to take about 10 small onions and stew them, while frying about 100 grams of mushrooms. White ones are just right.
- Pearl onion: 10 pieces
- Mushrooms: 200 g
7
When the turkey is cooked, meaning after 30 minutes, remove the lid and let the sauce evaporate on high heat for about 10 minutes to thicken. Then remove the bay leaf and thyme sprig. Add mushrooms and onions to the turkey and serve immediately for dinner.
- Bay leaf: 1 piece
- Thyme: 1 stem
- Pearl onion: 10 pieces
- Mushrooms: 200 g