cutlets cutlets...

riffing on that ever so lovely la times article, i bought a package of turkey cutlets along with my ground turkey at ralphs that fated day.  cutlets are very thin cuts of lean meat: the pro is that they cook up really fast, the con is that they can therefore be very dry.  what does one do for dry meat? you can't uncook it?  so you slather it in sauce.  

i took a lot of inspiration from other sources, i must admit -as the cutlet is a new toy for me.  but these recipes are solid.  the first is rachael ray's recipe for everyday thanksgiving fare - turkey, gravy and stuffing spruced up with a bit of fresh sage and prosciutto.  the one that follows it is a unique but very quick recipe from december 2007's gourmet mag - turkey cutlets in anchovy butter.  

thanksgiving today!

turkey cutlets with sage and prosciutto cornbread stuffing and pan gravy - serves 4

ingredients

1 package turkey cutlets, about one pound, 10 pieces.

2 tsp thyme

salt and pepper

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp all purpose flour

2 cups chicken stock

for the stuffing:

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter

3 ribs celery, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped
Salt and pepper
2 tsp sage
4 sprigs fresh sage (2 tbsps) chopped
2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
1/4 pound prosciutto, deli sliced like bacon, then chopped
3 corn muffins, crumbled
1 cup chicken stock 

1) heat a large skillet over medium high heat. season turkey with thyme (crumble it between your fingers), salt and pepper. add 1.5 tbsp of the olive oil to the pan. brown 6 cutlets 2 minutes on each side, remove to a plate and repeat with remaining pieces of turkey. 

2) add the butter to the pan. when it melts, whisk in flour and cook a minute, making sure the flour doesn't clump. whisk in stock or broth and bring up to a bubble. reduce heat to simmer, and season the gravy liberally with pepper, and salt if needed. slide turkey back into pan to finish cooking in gravy.

3)to a second skillet over medium high heat, combine the oil and butter. when butter melts into oil, add celery and onions and season with salt, pepper, and thyme. saute 5 minutes until just tender, add sage, parsley, prosciutto and stir to combine. crumble muffins into the pan. moisten stuffing with broth and heat through. remove from heat.

4) use an ice cream scoop to mound stuffing on plates and top with 2 cutlets and a small ladle of gravy. proceed to be thankful, any day of the week.

turkey cutlets in anchovy butter

serves 4

ingredients

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 pounds turkey cutlets
3 tbsps olive oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 cup dry white wine
2 tsps anchovy paste
3 tbsps unsalted butter
2 tbsps chopped chives

1) stir together flour and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper on a plate. pat cutlets dry, then dredge in flour, shaking off excess.

2) heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then sautee turkey in 2 batches, turning once, until golden and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per batch. transfer to a plate and keep warm, loosely covered with foil.

3) brown shallot in fat remaining in skillet, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes. add wine and boil, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 3 minutes. remove from heat and whisk in anchovy paste, butter, and chives until incorporated. return cutlets to skillet with any juices from plate and turn to coat.

voila! both these recipes are super quick and deliver loads of flavor.  i served the latter (to myself) with prosciutto wrapped blanched asparagus spears that i baked off at 400 degrees for 10 minutes to get the prosciutto and asparagus tops nice and crispy.

after following both of these recipes almost to a tee, i decided to craft my own good eats out of my remaining cutlets.

balsamically wiser turkey cutlets.

sauteed turkey cutlets in sage infused olive oil with a balsamic mushroom relish, and garlic-roasted fingerling potatoes and cherry tomatoes - serves 2

ingredients

half a carton of cremini mushrooms - chopped into meaty slices

half a carton of button mushrooms,-diced finely

one small red onion, finely juilienned

1 sprig fresh sage, chopped

1 tsp thyme

2 tbsp butter

3 tbsp good balsamic vinegar 

kosher salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp brown sugar

for the cutlets-

half a package of turkey cutlets - about 6 cutlets in all

salt and pepper

3 tbsp olive oil

6 leaves of sage

for the potatoes:

2 cloves of garlic, finely minced

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

6-8 fingerling potatoes

a generous handful of cherry tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

1) preheat the oven to 450 degrees fahrenheit.  toss the potatoes and cherry tomatoes in the olive oil and minced garlic. spread the mixture on a parchment lined baking sheet and season liberally with salt and pepper.  bake for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through and the tomatoes are shriveled.

2) season the cutlets liberally with salt and pepper.  to a large sautee pan, add the 3 tbsp olive oil and the sage leaves and wait until the oil heats up and the leaves are crisp.  move to the side of the pan.  add the cutlets, browning on each side for about 2 minutes until fully cooked.  drain on a paper towel, cover and set aside.  

3) fish out the crispy sage to save for garnish and set the heat at medium.  add the onions to the pan, cooking until translucent.  add the mushrooms and season with salt, pepper, thyme and sage.  cook until mushroom release their juices then add the butter to the pan and combine. once the better is melted, add the balsamic vinegar and sugar and allow the liquid to reduce by half.  taste and season accordingly.

4) serve cutlets topped liberally with the mushroom relish, alongside the potatoes fresh from the oven.  

each of these recipes really came through on flavor and i made them three consecutive nights in a row without getting sick of turkey - because none of it actually tasted like "turkey," persay.  i bet turkey cutlet milanese would be awesome, or turkey piccata, or even turkey scallopini would be delish.  experiment!  these babies are so quick cooking that you can play mad scientist in the kitchen every day without feeling like you wasted your life slaving over a hot stove.  yay for...cutlets!