profile. We enjoy working with it and
sourcing a farm-grown product.”
No smoker? No worries
Brent Ruggles, CEC, executive chef
at Las Colinas Country Club in Irving,
Texas, enjoys preparing barbecue
smoked turkey breast with a jalapeño/
cranberry salsa, even though he’s not
exactly smoking the turkey. It’s easy
to get a smoky flavor without actually
smoking, says Ruggles. His secret?
Rubbing liquid smoke into the turkey
breast, and oven-roasting. “Liquid smoke
is made with charred wood that was
soaked in water. It imparts a light smoke
flavor to anything it’s added to,” he says.
Ruggles pours liquid smoke over a turkey
breast and rubs it in. Then he sprinkles a
mixture of cumin, coriander, chili powder,
paprika, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper
continued on page 32
At Dusty’s Cellar, the smoked turkey
torta rustica is a signature dish.
National Turkey Federation
Smoked Turkey Torta Rustica
Kevin Cronin, Executive Chef
Dusty’s Cellar
Okemos, Mich.
Yield: 12 servings
1 t. salt
1 t. freshly grated nutmeg
1 lb. spinach leaves, sautéed, well-drained
2 oz. pine nuts, toasted
1 lb. red peppers, grilled, seeded, halved
Egg wash, as needed
The National Culinary Review | October 2009
30
4 lbs. brioche dough, divided
2 lbs. provolone, sliced, divided
1½ lbs. peppered or smoked turkey
breast, cubed
1½ lbs. artichoke hearts, quartered
(well-drained)
2 lbs. ricotta
2 oz. fresh garlic, chopped
1 T. dried basil
1 T. dried oregano
1) Spray 12-inch springform pan with
nonstick pan coating. 2) On floured surface,
roll out 3 lbs. brioche dough ¼-inch to
½-inch thick. Line pan with dough, allowing
1 inch to hang over sides; trim excess.
3) Layer ½ lb. sliced provolone atop
brioche dough. Add turkey cubes, evenly
covering cheese. 4) In separate bowl,
combine artichoke, ricotta, garlic, basil,
oregano, salt and nutmeg. Cover turkey
with ricotta mixture. Layer with ½ lb.
provolone; press down firmly to remove
air pockets. 5) Strain spinach; spread
over provolone. Sprinkle spinach with
pine nuts. Layer with ½ lb. provolone.
Place pepper halves over provolone;
cover with remaining provolone. 6) Roll
out remaining brioche dough ¼-inch
to ½-inch thick; cover torta. 7) Trim
excess dough; pinch and roll top dough
with overhanging bottom dough to seal
torta. Brush top with egg wash. 8) Put
in preheated 375ºF oven for 15 minutes.
Cover with foil; bake 45-50 minutes.
9) Cool completely. For clean-edged
slices, slice cold and reheat. Garnish
with fresh herbs.
