Braised Turkey with Butternut Squash, Chickpeas and Tomatoes

This Steam-Braising recipe has a wonderful combination of vegetables and dried fruit but the key is the fresh herb mixture that is stirred in at the end. The ingredients for the braise go together very quickly, but it takes some patience to prep the garnish. Having some prepped parsley and cilantro on hand is always useful so it’s worth the effort. It’s hard to find turkey year round so I try to keep some in the freezer as I enjoy this dish year round substituting carrots when butternut squash is unavailable.

In the traditional recipe the seasoned turkey thighs are seared on the cooktop before being placed over the vegetables and slowly cooked for 1 ½ hours.  You can also sear the turkey thighs at high temperature in the Steam Oven while you assemble the other ingredients, then change the Mode and temperature and slow-cook the braise. Easy and delicious.

INGREDIENTS

Turkey:

2 - small turkey thighs or 1 large

1 - tablespoon vegetable oil

1 - teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

1 - teaspoon Kosher salt

¼ - teaspoon garlic powder

¼ - teaspoon ground Allspice

Ground pepper to taste

Vegetables & Dried Fruit

1 - large red or yellow onion, cut into 1” dice

2 - cups butternut squash, cut into 2” cubes (substitute carrots if you prefer)

1 - large sweet potato or yam, peeled and cut into 2” cubes

1 - 28oz can, plum tomatoes, chopped

1 - can Garbanzo beans, drained

½ - cup dried apricots cut in half

½ - cup golden raisins

Place the seared turkey pieces on top of the vegetables and cook in the Convection Steam Mode 300 - 325 degrees for 1 ½ hours until the meat is very fork tender. Now you can prep the garnish.

Garnish:

½ - cup Italian parsley leaves chopped

½ - cup cilantro leaves chopped

1 - lemon zest and juice

1 - tablespoon fruity olive oil

Sprinkle of sea salt

PREPARATION

Preheat the Steam Oven in the Convection Mode 400 degrees (no steam). 

Combine the seasoning and oil in a small bowl and rub into the turkey thighs, cook on a rimmed baking sheet for 15 minutes or so until the fat has rendered and is sizzling. 

Meanwhile combine the remaining ingredients in a large oven casserole.

Final Steps

Combine the ingredients in a small bowl with a dash of chili flakes if you like a little spice.

Remove the casserole from the oven and place the turkey on a plate to cool. 

When cooled enough to handle, slice or shred and stir back into the casserole with some of the garnish and sprinkle more garnish over the top before serving.