Turkey Thighs in Beer (with Pumpkin and Potato Purée)
It’s Monday! Welcome back to the Light and Tasty meeting.
For today’s release, the Team has planned a recipe with white meat.
I won’t deny that it put me in a bit of a bind. 😌 As you know, I eat (and therefore buy) meat very rarely, so I found myself without available recipes or meat in the freezer (um, when was that ever! 😄) to use for a last-minute recipe. The last meat recipe I photographed dates back to… let me check…
… June! (but not white).
I had already decided to ask my colleagues on the Team to give me a pass for today because for those who rarely cook meat, it’s not easy to decide to go out specifically to buy it; if you’re like me, I know you understand. Until I thought of taking a look at my archive of forgotten recipes, that bottomless pit of photos taken over the years, most of which should be trashed because they are unsuccessful, blurry, shaky, dark, unusable, which I keep just for pure sentimentality or as a reminder to remake the recipes, eventually, someday. At least one recipe had to be there! I had a vague memory of a pork tenderloin from some time ago…
And nothing, the pork tenderloin was there, but it was one of those recipes to retry, and so nothing. Instead, this recipe popped up, these turkey thighs in beer that I had set aside (they date back to 2016!) only because of the photos, not well done. All the fault of that pile of pumpkin purée put there on the side that I didn’t like at all, a classic ‘mistake’ by an unorganized food blogger like I am, that of photographing in a hurry, and haste is the enemy of food bloggers! 😅
The power of photos is sometimes incredible; they can make what’s not appetizing appear delicious, or conversely hide the true goodness. But today I don’t care anymore, in the end, the protagonists are the turkey thighs, not the purée, so here I am to make public this wonderful and uniquely simple recipe. I recommend trying it because it really turns out well and without any effort. And maybe I’ll make it again; after all, once every seven years is fine, it fits well into ‘very rarely’! 😃
With two turkey thighs (to be precise, these were from a turkey hen, smaller but equally excellent), you get a second course that always looks good, every day or on holidays, it’s always lean meat, definitely light if cooked without the skin, and tasty and tender cooked like this, with beer.
And then it’s economical, which is not to be underestimated in this era of price increases that we are all experiencing firsthand when we shop. Moreover, it lends itself very well to zero waste: if you opened a beer and didn’t drink it all, don’t throw it away, use it for this recipe!
👇 And if you’re looking for more ideas, my other turkey recipes on the blog are these three: 😉
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 15 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 3
- Cooking methods: Stove, Slow Cook
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients
- 2 turkey thighs
- 2 glasses beer
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp flour
- pepper
- pumpkin and potato purée (see recipe)
Tools
- Stainless Steel Skillet
How to Prepare Turkey Thighs in Beer
👉 Contrary to what I did with the baked turkey thigh, this time I removed the skin, so it wasn’t necessary to singe the thighs. I singed only the terminal part of the drumstick, where removing the skin residue was more challenging.
Proceed as follows:
Brush on the thighs (or massage with your hands) a small amount of oil (a teaspoon).
Sear the thighs in a pan with a sprig of rosemary, the garlic clove (chopped or sliced), and a sprinkle of pepper.
Turn the thighs until they are seared on all sides.
Pour the beer.
☝ In the ingredient list, I indicated 2 glasses, but I don’t remember exactly how much I used; it should roughly cover the thighs halfway. It’s possible, if necessary, to top up with more beer during cooking, or use more (there will be more cooking liquid left, useful for more sauce).
Cook over low heat with a semi-closed lid for about an hour, turning from time to time.
When cooked, remove the thighs, place them on a cutting board, and let them cool slightly.
Slice the meat.
Thicken the cooking liquid left in the pan with a tablespoon (or two, depending on the thickness you want) of flour (I didn’t take a photo of this step 🤷♀️).
👉 Pour the flour with a sieve, always stirring with a spoon, to avoid lumps.
Place the meat slices on a serving dish and drizzle with the sauce, or put them back in the pan and toss them in the sauce for a few minutes.
Serve them hot accompanied by the pumpkin and potato purée.
Of the pumpkin purée and potatoes, which I find suitable as an accompaniment to this meat, you can find the complete recipe here of my version cooked in the microwave.
Curiosity: The purée I paired with these turkey thighs in beer was made with green pumpkin (from a home-garden of some relative or acquaintance) that I show you in the photo below. A variety I haven’t had the chance to find again, it seemed like a cross between a giant zucchini and a butternut squash, with light green skin and light flesh, but orange under the seeds. Who can tell me what variety it is? 😄
Salt-Free Tips
As always, I didn’t add salt to this recipe. The beer cooking and the sauce (essential!) make this lean and white meat flavorful and tender. If desired, you can add an extra sprinkle of pepper before serving and a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil raw.
As always, I didn’t add salt to this recipe. The beer cooking and the sauce (essential!) make this lean and white meat flavorful and tender. If desired, you can add an extra sprinkle of pepper before serving and a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil raw.
If you are interested in reducing or eliminating salt, always remember to:
▫ Reduce salt gradually; the palate needs to adapt slowly and not notice the progressive reduction.
▫ Use spices. Chili, pepper, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cumin…
▫ Use aromatic herbs. Basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, mint…
▫ Use seeds. Sesame, pine nuts, almonds, walnuts…
▫ Use spicy vegetables or fruit. Garlic, onion, lemon, orange…
▫ Use my salt-free vegetable granules
▫ Prefer fresh foods.
▫ Avoid water cooking, prefer cooking methods that do not disperse flavors (grill, foil, steam, microwave)
▫ Avoid bringing the salt shaker to the table!
▫ Occasionally allow yourself a break from the rule. It’s good for your mood and helps to persevere.
If you don’t want or can’t give up salt:
▫ You can still try my recipes by salting according to your habits.
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I’ll leave you with the other recipes from the Light and Tasty Team.
See you next Monday!
Carla Emilia: Chicken rolls with olive and ricotta cream
Daniela: Chicken thighs with yellow pepper and black olives
Elena: Turkey strips in beer
Milena: Turkey roast with vegetable sauce
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
If there is little cooking liquid left, how can you “increase” the sauce?
It’s very simple; just add a glass (or two, depending on the amount of sauce you want) of beer (or possibly broth) to the cooking liquid, then thicken over low heat with a tablespoon of flour.
To “glaze” and make the sauce creamier, you can also add a knob of butter.
