Harissa-Spiced Turkey Bake

As much as I love Thanksgiving and absolutely savor the leftovers, it is possible to have too much of a good thing. Last night we finally polished off the last of the stuffing and cranberry sauce, but we still had about four cups of dark meat left and I try not keep cooked poultry for more than a few days. I’d thought of making a tetrazzini, but it seems a little heavy and besides, we felt like a change in flavor profile.

This dish is like a cross between a moussaka and a tagine. It’s a good way to finish that last bit of Thanksgiving turkey, when you’ve had enough of the traditional (but lovely!) Thanksgiving leftovers.

Harissa-Spiced Turkey Bake – serves 4

1 T butter + 1 T melted butter
1 onion, chopped
4 C dark turkey meat, any cartilage and bones removed
2 T leftover gravy (optional – it works as a binder, but is fine without it)
2 medium or 3 small tomatoes, diced
1 – 2 T harissa (depending on your preference for spice)
1 T honey
1/2 t nutmeg
1 T chopped scallions
10 black mission olives
2 large boiling potatoes, peeled and sliced in to thin rounds
Paprika

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Over medium heat, melt the butter in a small skillet. Add onions and saute until softened and lightly browned – about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the turkey, onions, gravy, tomatoes, harissa, honey, nutmeg, scallions, and olives and toss well with a large spoon.

Grease the bottom of a large baking dish. Line the bottom of the dish with half of the potato slices. Cover with the turkey mixture. Arrange the rest of the potato slices on top.

Brush potatoes with melted butter and dust lightly with paprika.

Bake for in the center of the oven for 40 minutes, then move it up a rack and bake for the final 20 minutes. This is to allow the potatoes to brown and form a crust.

Ingredient Origins: Turkey – Vermont; Organic potatoes, tomatoes, onion, honey – Massachusetts; Organic scallions – my kitchen; Harissa – Morocco; Olives – California, Nutmeg – Indonesia; Paprika – Spain.