Turkey Tetrazzini (keto)

The opera singer Luisa Tetrazzini is thought to be the namesake of this dish, which allegedly originated in San Francisco, where she lived during the early 1900s.

All I know for certain is that Turkey Tetrazzini was a staple after-Thanksgiving dish in our San Francisco household. Whether my mother picked up this recipe from living in the city of its birth or not, it was the way in which she used up any leftover turkey…and there was always leftover turkey unless we’d had a crowd over for the holidays.

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In my version, I like to save all the bits and pieces from making the feast (such as giblets, bones, wings, potato, carrot, and onion peelings, leftover herbs) and throw them in a big pot of water. Simmer very gently for an hour, and I have a fantastic stock for the following recipe…or the base for some turkey soup.

Tetrazzini can also be made with chicken or seafood, and for a vegetarian version I would bump the mushrooms up to two pounds to make an all-mushroom version. Alternatively, one could add bite-sized cubes of light miso-marinated tofu to replace the turkey.


 

Turkey Tetrazzini
4 servings // 782 calories, 65g fat, 39g protein, 9g net carbs

4 eight-ounce Kibon Foods’ “Healthy Noodles” packages
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 pound mushrooms, sliced (about 4-5 cups)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced (or 1/2 tsp.dried)
1 tablespoon onion powder
1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 teaspoons guar gum
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 cups organic chicken stock
1-3/4 cups organic cream
1-1/2 pounds cooked organic turkey, cubed
1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley leaves
2/3 cup (1 ounce) freshly grated Parmesan (divided into 1/3 and 1/3 cups)
Salt and Pepper

Empty the noodles into a sieve and rinse well. Set aside.

In a Dutch oven, sauté the the garlic and cook for a minute, stirring. Add the mushrooms and thyme, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are soft and have released their liquid. Add the onion powder and stir for a minute. Sprinkle with the almond flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the butter and stir until creamy.

In a small bowl, whisk the guar gum into 1/2 a cup of the chicken stock until all lumps disappear. Add to the Dutch oven.

Add the wine and chicken stock and cook, stirring, until smooth and thick. Add the heavy cream and bring to a boil.

Add the noodles to the cream sauce so that the noodles can soak up flavors. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, 15 to 20 minutes.

When the sauce has thickened, add the turkey, parsley, salt, black pepper, and Parmesan to the skillet and stir until thoroughly combined. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan.