As was customary for him, in 1917 Dr. John Kellogg, of Kelloggs Cereal Company, edited an issue of Good Health Magazine. In one particular article the author wrote about breakfast; “It should not be eaten hurriedly, and all the family, so far as possible, should partake of it together.” Imagine both editor and authors’ horror to know breakfast has been co-opted by highly processed foods like sugary cereals, toaster pastries, grab-and-go breakfast bars, and high sugar puddings disguised as yogurt.
Here’s a recipe using wild turkey that will help stop the madness for at least one weekend morning. So, put down the phones. Turn off the television, and video games, and enjoy some time together eating a hearty home cooked breakfast using a wild protein you worked so hard to harvest. It will see you through your day, and get you some quality facetime with your Dear Ones.
STEP ONE: POACHING WILD TURKEY BREAST
Begin by poaching brined and cleaned turkey breast.
Heat any combination of water, stock, wine, or beer. Add some aromatics. Whatever you have on hand is just fine. Scatter a little salt, too.Bring the liquid to a low simmer.
Add turkey breast. Cover, cook until done. This typically takes somewhere around 10-15 minutes.
When done, remove from the poaching liquid and shred once the meat has cooled enough to handle.
STEP TWO: MAKING SCRUMPTIOUS CHEDDAR BISCUITS
Ingredients:
2 cups Original Bisquick™ mix
2/3 cup whole milk
¼ cup mayonnaise*
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 or 2 cloves smashed garlic cloves
*Here's an old Southern Secret when making biscuits: The mayonnaise replaces the fat found in most biscuit recipes and the vinegar in the mayonnaise makes the biscuits light and fluffy, in much the same way it does a pie crust.
STEP THREE: MAKE THE GRAVY
Ingredients:
1 cup shredded, poached wild turkey meat
2 T bacon grease, or butter
2-3 T flour
2 ½ cups Whole milk
1 bay leaf
1 small shallot
1 whole clove
Method:
In a saucepan add milk, bay leaf, shallot, and clove. Heat to a low simmer and hold for about 10 minutes to steep, or infuse the milk with the herbs and spice.
Melt fat over a medium-high flame in a cast iron skillet, or sauté pan. Add flour stirring continuously until very light brown.
Slowly add milk to sauté pan a little at a time whisking continuously. (Strain out the bay, shallot and clove.) Continue until gravy reaches desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Add shredded turkey. Heat and mix until incorporated.
STEP FOUR: BUILD THE BREAKFAST PLATE
Ladle gravy onto plate to cover. Split two of the homemade cheddar biscuits, reserving tops. Sit biscuit bottoms into hot southern gravy, top with shredded wild turkey breast, and lay on a couple pieces of thick-cut smokey bacon.
Next, layer with a farm fresh egg prepared sun-side up!
Add a few thin slices of scallion, more gravy, and a drizzle of pepper sauce if you like the heat.
Cap with reserved biscuit tops, and you guessed it...more gravy!
Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and garnish with parsley, scallion and pepper sauce.