Poached Turkey with Lemon-Rosemary Dumplings

Chicken and Dumplings is a family favorite. This variation uses gently poached wild turkey breast and bumps up the flavor in the dumplings by adding fresh lemon zest and rosemary.

poached_turkey_with_lemon_rosemary_dumplings

Serves: 4

Time: 1 ½ hours

1 ½ - 2 lbs. boneless, skinless wild turkey breast

6 – 6 ½ c. turkey or chicken stock (plus extra for adjusting)

1 sprig fresh rosemary

3 - 4 sprigs fresh parsley

1 bay leaf

2 sprigs fresh thyme

¼ tsp. black peppercorns

4 strips lemon peel, each 1” wide x 2-3” long, all pith removed

¼ c. unsalted butter

¾ c. onion, small dice

¾ c. carrots, small dice

¾ c. celery, small dice

1/3 c. all-purpose flour

½ c. whole milk

3 - 4 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Combine rosemary, parsley, bay leaf, thyme, peppercorns, and lemon peel in a cheesecloth bundle and tie closed with kitchen twine. Put the turkey breast in a medium Dutch oven and cover with enough room temperature broth to completely cover meat (about 6 – 6 ½ cups depending on the pot.) Add herb bundle and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, then reduce to a bare simmer (do not let it boil!) and cook 30-45 minutes or until meat reaches 155°. Transfer meat to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, punching a few holes in the wrap to allow steam to escape. When cool enough to handle, trim out the strip of cartilage running through the thickest part, slice across the grain into ½” slices, chop into small pieces, cover and set aside.

While meat poaches heat a medium sauté pan over medium heat, add butter then the onion, celery, and carrots and cook until almost soft, about 10 minutes. Whisk in the 1/3 c. flour and cook, stirring constantly, until vegetables are completely coated and bubbly. Remove herb sachet from stock, whisk vegetable mixture and milk into stock and return to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Add chopped meat then adjust liquid level if necessary by adding more chicken broth. (You should have a medium-thick gravy with lots of room for the meat to float in, as the dumplings will absorb some of the liquid as they cook.) For a thicker broth make a slurry by adding 1 Tbsp. flour to a few tablespoons of cool broth and whisk into the hot mixture. Add lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste and bring to a very gentle simmer.

Prepare dough for dumplings; drop by tablespoonfuls onto barely simmering mixture. Cook uncovered 10 minutes, cover and cook 15 minutes longer.

Lemon-Rosemary Dumplings

1 ½ c. all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. baking soda

¾ tsp. salt

2 tsp. fresh lemon zest

2 ½ tsp. very finely minced fresh rosemary

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled

¾ c. buttermilk

¼ c. + 2 Tbsp. heavy cream

Measure flour, baking powder, salt, lemon zest, and chopped rosemary into a medium bowl and rub between your fingers to combine, breaking up any clumps of zest.  In a small bowl whisk together the buttermilk, cream, and melted butter. Stir wet mixture into dry mixture, stirring just until moistened. Do not overmix.

Wild turkeys are interesting creatures. The Northern Neck is fortunate to have a healthy population, but this hasn’t always been the case. Between 1880 and 1920 Virginia’s Eastern turkey population had disappeared from 2/3 of Virginia and had become rare in other areas. Several early restoration attempts failed, but in 1955 efforts began to trap native birds and transfer them to areas with appropriate habitat. Over a 38-year period nearly 900 wild turkeys were trapped and relocated, and the current estimated population state-wide is 180,000. This restoration is a major success for Virginia’s wildlife management program and for the citizens of the Commonwealth.

 Turkeys are smart and have keen eyesight and hearing, making turkey hunting a challenge, sometimes taking years of patience before success. Ask an avid turkey hunter and they’ll tell you they invest a lot of time learning about the birds. Turkeys have their own language, body signals, flock hierarchy, habitat, and food preferences. Knowing how to read the land and the birds is a key to success. Learn more through the Virginia DWR Turkey page https://dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/turkey/ or the National Wild Turkey Federation https://www.nwtf.org.