We have received a number of requests for this recipe after our appearance on Food(ography). Tonight we served it with pumpkin macaroni rigate. And if you are not in the mood for meatballs, the pressure-cooked turkey stock is a true time saver for Thanksgiving proper.
Thanksgiving Meatballs
– 7 grams smoked paprika
– 1 gram nutmeg
– 1.5 grams red pepper flakes
– 3 grams fennel seeds
– 5 grams garlic powder
– 15 grams salt
– 110 grams celery (5 celery branches)
– 300 grams onion (1 onion)
– 100 grams shiitake mushrooms
– 250 grams sliced bacon
– 250 grams Challah bread
– 35 grams potato flakes
– 200 grams (4 large) eggs
– 60 grams heavy cream
– 25 grams soy sauce
– 10 grams crystal hot sauce
– 7 grams sage leaves
– 1000 grams ground turkey thigh
– 500 grams ground turkey breast
– Reserved turkey stock
– 375 grams red wine
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Put the paprika, nutmeg, red pepper flakes, fennel seeds, garlic powder, and salt into a spice grinder. Grind into a fine powder. Put the celery, onion, and shiitake mushrooms into a food processor and process to a fine mince. Mince the bacon by hand or in a food processor. Cook it in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it is browned and crispy. Add the minced vegetables and spice mixture and cook until the vegetables are just tender. Remove from the heat and put the mixture into a bowl.
While the bacon and vegetables are cooking, cut the bread into a 2 cm dice and toast in the oven until it is a foxy brown, about 15 minutes. Put the potato flakes in a heatproof skillet and toast them in the oven until they are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the toasted Challah bread and toasted potato flakes to the warm vegetables and mix to combine. Allow this mixture to cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Put the eggs, heavy cream, soy sauce, hot sauce, and sage leaves into a blender and puree on medium speed until homogeneous. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetable-bread base. Add the turkey thigh meat and turkey breast meat. Mix all the ingredients together. Use your fingertips to break up the Challah so that it is combined with everything else. Shape the meatball mixture into 4 cm meatballs and lay them out on a tray.
Once the oven is up to temperature, put the turkey stock and red wine in a Dutch oven or roasting pan large enough to hold all the meatballs and the liquid and put it in the oven to heat up. Once all the meatballs are made, put them in the hot broth, put the lid on the pan, and put it back in the oven. Cook the meatballs for 45 minutes, until they are firm. Remove the meatballs from the oven and allow them to cool in their braising liquid. To serve, warm as you desire: in broth, sauce, brown slowly in a sauté pan in butter, broil in the oven, or deep fry and serve with your favorite cranberry sauce.
Pressure-Cooked Turkey Stock
– 1000 grams turkey wings (2 wings)
– 1500 grams water
– 600 grams apple cider
– 50 grams dark miso
– 500 grams smoked turkey wings (1 wing)
– 135 grams celery (6 celery branches)
– 50 grams mushroom stems
– 50 grams garlic (1 head of garlic)
– 225 grams onion (2/3 onion)
– 200 grams carrot (5 carrots)
– 225 grams kimchi
Preheat an oven to 400°F. Put the turkey wings onto a sheet pan and roast them in the oven until they are a rich golden brown, about 45 minutes. Put them into a pressure cooker with all of the remaining ingredients. Cook the stock for 30 minutes at high pressure. Let the pressure dissipate naturally and then strain the stock. Let it cool down in an ice bath and reserve until needed.
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