Honeyed Turkey with Spiced Ginger Bread

Add an Easy and Spicy French Twist to your Festive Menu

Dec 13, 2008 Kerry Swash

Spice up your Christmas table and add a little 'je ne sais quoi' to the traditional roast dinner with this festive French recipe from the Alsace region of France.

This spicy recipe is from Dijon, the home of Pain d’Epice (spiced gingerbread). The toasted bread makes a wonderful fragrant base for the succulent honey-soaked turkey. Pain d’Epice can be shop bought but it’s not difficult to bake. The recipe below is very easy, you can make it in advance and your house will smell delicious for days!

The traditional Supreme recipe is for Pintadeau (guinea fowl) which makes a nice gamier alternative to the usual turkey or chicken but it can be just as easily adapted to the bird or fowl of your choice.

Supreme de Pintadeau au Miel et Pain d’Epices

Serves 4

Preparation Time : 15 mins

Cooking Time 35 mins

Ingredients

• 750g Chicken/Guineafowl or Turkey Breasts (without skin)
• 200g pain d’epices (spiced bread)
• 200g Caster Sugar
• 3 soup spoons of runny honey
• 50g butter
• 3 soup spoons of red wine vinegar
• ½ red meat stock cube
• Salt, pepper

Method

1. Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees
2. Season the filets on both sides
3. Melt 30g of butter in an ovenproof gratin dish
4. Place the filets in the butter and fry gently till golden – 2 mins on either side. Add a small glass of water, cover and put in the oven for 30 mins.
5. Meanwhile in a small casserole or saucepan bring the sugar and vinegar to the boil.
6. Dissolve the stockcube in ½ glass of warm water and add to the sugar and vinegar.
7. Leave to reduce and then add the honey. Leave to reduce again and check the seasoning.
8. Meanwhile cut the spiced bread into chunky strips of slices and fry in the remaining 20g of melted butter, then place on a sheet of grease proof paper and put to one side.
9. Once the filets are cooked lower the oven temperature to 120 degrees and put the slices of bread in the oven for a few minutes to crisp them slightly.

To Serve:

Serving: place the filets on top of the slices of crispy sliced spiced bread and cover with the honey sauce.

Scatter with capers if desired and Serve with Duchesse Potatoes and French beans.

Pain d’epice is a festive treat and the traditional bread left out for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. It has been a part of French celebrations since medieval times. It is now eaten all over France but it is an Alsatian specialty and all the towns in the region have their own recipe and each baker their own secret ingredient. The recipe below is a classic Dijon version.

Pain d’Epice (Spiced Gingerbread)

Serves: 8

Prep time: 45 mins (includes a 30 resting time for the dough)

Cook time: 1hr

Ingredients :

• 250 g de plain flour
• 250 g de runny honey
• 1/2 packet of baking powder (approx 6g)
• 1 large pinch of ginger
• 1 large pinch of nutmeg
• 1 large pinch cinnamon
• 1/2 a teaspoon of star anise
• 1/2 glass of milk
• 1 cup of strong black tea
• 1/2 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda

Method:.

1. Powder the star anise.
2. In a large bowl mix all the ingredients taking care not to put the baking powder in direct contact with the bicarbonate of soda (i.e.mix them in separately.)
3. Make sure everything is well mixed together until you have a good gooey cake-type mixture
4. Leave to sit for 30 mins.
5. Place in a long loaf tin
6. In a gentle preheated oven 130degrees for 1 hr
7. The loaf is ready when the tip of a knife comes out clean.

The copyright of the article Honeyed Turkey with Spiced Ginger Bread in Seasonal Cooking is owned by Kerry Swash. Permission to republish Honeyed Turkey with Spiced Ginger Bread in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Supreme Pintadeau

Pain d'Epice

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