Recipe: Thanksgiving Turkey Canalons
Summary: This traditional Catalan recipe is served on Sant Esteve or Saint Steven’s Day, December 26th. Canalons are known as the typical dish of Barcelona. They are served in almost every restaurant and household. I love to use the leftover turkey from Thanksgiving for this recipe to cut the work in half!
Ingredients (note this is a loose recipe, think “mas or menos” for the ingredients because it all depends on your preference of vegetables to turkey/meat ratio)
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- FOR THE CANALONS:
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- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2-3 cups shredded leftover turkey (dark meat preferred)
- chicken liver/turkey gizzards (optional)
- 4 carrots (peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks)
- 2 leeks (cleaned and cut into 2 inch chunks)
- 2 parsnips (optional: peeled and cut into chunks)
- 2 tomatoes (chopped)
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup panko or bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup cognac
- 1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
- salt and freshly ground white pepper
- 18 cannelloni shells (get the non-cooked shells)
- 1/2 cup or more grated parmesan cheese
FOR THE BÉCHAMEL:
(Note: double or triple the bechamel depending on ratio of canalons made)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp flour
- 2 cups milk, warmed
- salt and freshly ground white pepper
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
Instructions
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- Fry onions and garlic, carrots, parsnips, leeks in 1-2 inches olive oil.
- Lower heat and cook until ingredients are soft. Add tomatoes and cook a few minutes more
- Add shredded turkey and cognac. Cook another 5 minutes. Let cool.
- Beat the egg with nutmeg, salt and pepper and bread crumbs, stir mixture into skillet.
- Puree the fried vegetable/turkey mixture in batches in a Cuisinart. I like to pulse it so it doesn’t get too smooth.
- Use a small spoon to stuff the cannelloni shells. Place on a rimmed baking dish with a little bechamel on the bottom.
- Pour the béchamel over the canalons, sprinkle with cheese and bake until golden brown at 350 degrees about 20 minutes until bubbly and golden.
- Optional: Freeze the entire pan and save for Christmas!
Make the béchamel:
- Heat butter in a medium saucepan over low heat, sprinkle in flour, and stir until a thick roux forms, 3–5 minutes. Add warm milk gradually and stir until mixture reduces, about 10 minutes. Season béchamel to taste with salt and pepper.
Note: Below are the veggies getting ready to be fried in olive oil.
