Rebecca Nielsen's Recipe

Chipolinni/Apple Turkey Thighs

Category: Turkey

Serves/Makes: 2 plus (leftover recipe below)
Difficulty: 4
Prep/Cook Time: 2 1/2 hours

Preheat Oven to 375 degrees F

Ingredients:

4 T Good Olive Oil (I use Hojiblanca)*
2 large turkey thighs, bone in skin on (about 2 1/4 pounds)
3 large honey crisp apples, peeled, cored and sliced into six slices each apple
10 baby chipolinni onions, peeled (see note)
2 large shallots sliced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
6 long sprigs thyme left on stems
2 cups apple cider (the cloudy kind)
2 cups homemade chicken stock if possible
1 cup water
1/3 c crisp white wine
2 T garam masala
2 T Apple Balsamic Vinegar*
2 T arrowroot (or corn starch) see note
4 medium potatoes peeled and medium diced
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Freshly chopped parsley.

Directions:

In large dutch oven over med-high heat add olive oil. Salt and pepper both sides of
turkey thighs. Place skin side down on hot oil. Brown 6 minutes on each side. Do not move thighs until the 6 minutes is up.

While turkey is browning, bring water in medium sauce pan to boil. Put 10 baby chipolinni onions in boiling water for 1 minute 30 seconds. Drain and cool slightly to handle. With fingers rub peel off and slice in half.

When turkey is browned remove from pan. Add chipolinni's, sliced shallots, garlic and sprigs of thyme. Gently stir with flat bottom wooden spoon about 4 minutes. Add garam masala and stir for 30 seconds then add white wine scrapping bottom of pan to get all the turkey bits up.

Add apple slices, water, apple cider and chicken stock. Cook about 9 minutes until apples are just softened. Taste for salt content and adjust accordingly.

Put turkey thighs back in pan, nestling them down to the bottom skin side up. The liquid should cover all but about an inch of the turkey. Put pan in oven, covered on middle rack for 1 1/2 hours.

Mix 2 T arrowroot with 2 T water. After 1 1/2 hours remove pan from oven and stir in arrowroot. Put diced potatoes in with turkey making sure potatoes are covered with liquid. Return to oven uncovered for an additional 30 minutes.

When time is up remove from stove, take out sprig stems and stir in apple balsamic vinegar.

*The Apple Balsamic Vinegar can be purchased at The Olive Tap in Long Grove, IL or online at theolivetap-dot-com. You could use regular balsamic but the apple really kicks it up a notch. The Hojiblanca Olive Oil is also from tThe Olive Tap.

To serve place turkey thigh on plate. Leave whole for the big eaters or remove bone and slice. Spoon sauce and potatoes over top. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley.

Cooks Notes: This dish is a little labor intensive but well worth it. You will have alot of sauce left over and this is what my husband came up with. With masher mash any potato pieces left in sauce. Shred any left over turkey and add to sauce. Refrigerate until later in the week. When ready to use, cook about 3/4 pound of your favorite pasta. I prefer the wide egg noodles. Heat left over sauce until very hot and pour over noodles. I make my sesame green beans for the veggie side dish. Hope you all enjoy. Let me know what you think?