If there is no way in hell you are roasting a turkey this Thanksgiving, consider making this alternative turkey dish for your upcoming holiday.
This dish has incredible flavor. Serve it with mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes and you have yourself a mini feast.
I love nutty schnitzels because coating a schnitzel in any type of nut before pan frying adds wonderful, flavor and crunch to any schnitzel dish.
And. Make the roux ahead of time and the dish takes less than a half hour to make.
Shut the front door.
Many German sauces and soup are flavored with a dark roux. Don’t be intimidated by the fancy name. Roux is easy to make. You will find a recipe for a dark roux is included below.
In this recipe, the mild turkey flavor is the perfect complement to a creamy, crunchy, cashew coating. The last of the tarragon from my garden was used to add an anise-like flavor the sauce. The dark roux was added to the sauce to deepen its flavor.
If tarragon is too hard to find, substitute your favorite herb.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup unsalted raw cashew nuts, plus some for garnish
- 1 large egg
- Salt and white pepper to taste
- 4 turkey breasts thinly cut
- 8 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 cups water
- 4 tablespoons turkey broth
- 4 tablespoons dark roux*
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon, plus some sprigs for garnish
Directions:
- Rinse the turkey breasts and pat dry. If the turkey breasts are uneven in thickness, pound them until they are thin and even.
- Season each breast with salt and white pepper on both sides.
- Place three deep plates by the stovetop. Chop the cashews into small pieces and spread the pieces out on one plate.
- Whisk the egg in a small bowl. add salt and white pepper and pour into the second large shallow plate.
- Pour the all-purpose flour evenly onto the second plate.
- In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large shallow skillet over medium heat. When the oil is sizzling, turn the heat down to low.
- Dredge each seasoned turkey breast first in flour, then in the beaten egg. Lastly, cover the breasts with the chopped cashews and place in the pan.
- Cook the turkey breasts 3-4 minutes on each side until they are cooked through and the cashew crust is golden brown.
- Remove from the pan and place the cooked turkey breasts on a separate serving plate. Cover the plate with aluminum foil and store in a warm place.
- Add the 2 cups of water to the pan. Add the turkey broth and the dark roux. Stir until everything is combined thoroughly.
- Stir in the whipped heavy cream and the fresh tarragon. Let the mixture simmer for a couple of minutes and season with salt and white pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
- Retrieve the turkey breasts from their warm place, uncover and pour the sauce over the top or serve on the side.
- Garnish with raw cashews and fresh tarragon sprigs and serve.
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup flour
Directions:
- Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until tiny bubbles form in the oil. If you want to be more precise and use a thermometer, heat the oil to 300 degrees F.
- Carefully add the all-purpose flour a bit at a time stirring slowly and constantly. Be careful not to slosh any of the liquid on yourself as it is extremely hot.
- When all the flour has been incorporated, keep stirring slowly until the roux becomes a deep caramel color. You do not want it to turn a chocolate color. The darker the roux, the less thickening power it has. In this case, the roux is added to this sauce recipe for flavor.
- Remove from the heat. Use immediately or transfer to a jar and store in the refrigerator for future use. but bring the roux to room temperature before using. If you would like a thicker sauce, stir in more cream and/or all-purpose flour.
