Chicken (Turkey) Tetrazzini

At the Tivoli Opera House in 1904 Luisa Tetrazzini made her San Francisco debut, and this opera loving city made her their favorite coloratura soprano. Soon a dish of chicken, mushrooms and pasta in a cream sauce was named in her honor. Looks easy, it truly is, but at the same time it has an elegant flavor.

The origin of the first “Tetrazzini” dish is unknown, but in the October 1908 edition of Good Housekeeping published that “Turkey Tetrazzini” was served in New York City at the restaurant on Forty-Second Street. The article states that “This was served in the dish in which it was cooked and some bread crumbs were browned over the top.” A recipe from a 1909 publication of the Woman’s Home Companion magazine gives this instruction, “Put into buttered ramekin dishes, cover with buttered cracker crumbs, and bake until the crumbs are brown.”

A newspaper article from 1921 states, “Before starting on her long concert tour, Mme. Tetrazzini took a cooking lesson from Louis Paquet, chef de cuisine of the McAlpin hotel on Herald Square in New York City. Paquet began making ‘Spaghetti Tetrazzini’ several years ago, when she gave him the recipe she brought from abroad with her.” The McAlpin was the largest hotel in the world when it opened in 1912, but “Turkey Tetrazzini” (1908) and “Chicken Tetrazzini” (1909) recipes had already been cited in print.

FMM: You could try this recipe with tuna in place of the turkey. I’m wondering if Tetrazzini is the inspiration for Tuna Noodle Casserole. The original recipe for Tuna Noodle Casserole used a white sauce instead of the the canned mushroom soup and included mushrooms and a cheese topping. Some early versions of Tetrazzini were made with a white sauce, but omitted the noodles. These versions were often served with toast points. Tuna Fish and Peas on Toast fits into this discussion. Historically, during the late 19th century, there are many creamed dishes that were served over toast points.

*Luxurious Turkey Tetrazzini
Recipe courtesy of Michele Urvater, https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/

Brian and I ususally make this recipe every year from leftover Thanksgiving dinner turkey. The herbed turkey probably adds some extra flavor. It is quite good and I look forward to it every year. Due to this being made with linguine it is a bit tough to just scoop out of the dish. You can use tongs to dish the casserole out, or break the linguine in half as the America's Test Kitchen's does in their recipe.

The first year we made this, Brian added some fresh herbs: thyme, oregano and rosemary. The second year he used the leftover stuffed mushrooms and added frozen peas, a nice addition making it a complete meal. The 1 tablespoon of Madeira wine makes a big difference in the flavor.

1/2 recipe makes 3 - 4 servings (for me).

Note: Make more sauce than the recipe calls for. Increase by 1/4.

Casserole:
1/2 pound linguine
5 tablespoons butter (plus 1 tablespoon for topping, see below)
1/2 pound mushrooms thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Madeira (port and marsala wine are the best substitutes if you do not have Madeira)
4 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
Herbs: big pinches of thyme, oregano, rosemary, fresh if possible (not in original recipe)
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 to 3 cups leftover cooked turkey, cut into 3/4-inch dice
Peas (not in original recipe)

Topping:
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, for topping
2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs (can add more, if desired), for topping
dot with 1 tablespoon butter

Cook linguine to the al dente stage and drain.

In the meantime, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a skillet [to save on pans used, use a pan large enough to mix the entire casserole]. When the foaming subsides, add the mushrooms and saute, over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes until the mushrooms have absorbed the butter and are tender. Stir in the Madeira and evaporate over high heat. Remove and place on a plate.

Tip: The foaming of the butter is caused by the water in the butter boiling away. The main reason you wait for it to subside is simply because that means the butter has had long enough to reach a proper temperature for cooking: too cold and the food will absorb the butter rather than fry in it.

In another saucepan [I use the same pan] heat 3 tablespoons of butter. When foaming subsides, stir in the flour and cook for a minute. [If flour looks very dry, add a little more butter.] Whisk in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the herbs, if using. Cook, over low heat, for about 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove sauce from heat and stir in the cream. Season to taste [to taste] with salt and pepper. Fold in the mushrooms, turkey, and peas, if using [but not the linguine].

Mix the Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs together.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 1 1/2 quart casserole. Layer half of pasta, half of mushroom and turkey mixture and repeat with pasta and turkey mushroom mix. Scatter Parmesan and bread crumbs over the top and dot with remaining tablespoon of butter. Heat for 45 minutes or until heated through, sauce is bubbling and top is browning. If you wish, slide casserole under the broiler for a moment to brown the top.

4 servings

Turkey Tetrazzini
from America's Test Kitchen Season 3: American Casseroles

Why this recipe works:

Overcooking is the inevitable fate of many casseroles, as the contents are usually cooked twice: once on their own and once again when joined with the other casserole ingredients. We wanted a casserole with a silky sauce, a generous portion of turkey meat, and noodles cooked just till done.

We found we could cut the second cooking down to just 15 minutes by baking the recipe in a shallow dish that would allow it to heat through quickly. Most recipes for turkey Tetrazzini call for a béchamel sauce, in which milk is added to a roux (a paste made from fat and flour that is then cooked on the stovetop). In switching to a velouté, which is based on chicken stock rather than milk, we brightened up the texture and the flavor. We also used less sauce than most recipes call for, giving the other ingredients a chance to express themselves. Still looking for brighter flavor, we spruced things up with a shot of sherry and a little lemon juice and nutmeg. Parmesan cheese provided tang and bite, and a full 2 teaspoons of fresh thyme helped to freshen the overall impression of the dish.

Tetrazzini is also great with leftover chicken. Using a shallow baking dish without a cover and a very hot oven benefits both texture and flavor. Don’t skimp on the salt and pepper; this dish needs aggressive seasoning.

Topping
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
Pinch table salt
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup)

Filling
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 stick), plus extra for baking dish
8 ounces white mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thin (3 cups)
2 medium onions, chopped fine (1 1/2 cups)
3/4 pound spaghetti or other long-strand pasta, strands snapped in half
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons dry sherry
3 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 3/4 cup)
1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons lemon juice from 1 small lemon
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
2 cups frozen peas
4 cups leftover cooked boneless turkey meat or chicken meat, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1. For the Topping: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix breadcrumbs, salt, and butter in small baking dish; bake until golden brown and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool to room temperature and mix with 1/4 cup grated Parmesan in small bowl. Set aside.

2. For the Filling: Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in large skillet over medium heat until foaming subsides; add mushrooms and onions and sauté, stirring frequently, until onions soften and mushroom liquid evaporates, 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste; transfer to medium bowl and set aside. Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling, salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup cooking water, drain spaghetti, and return to pot with reserved liquid.

3. For the Sauce: Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in cleaned skillet over medium heat. When foam subsides, whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, until flour turns golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisking constantly, gradually add chicken stock. Adjust heat to medium-high and simmer until mixture thickens, 3 to 4 minutes. Off heat, whisk in sherry, Parmesan, nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, lemon juice, and thyme. Add sauce, sautéed vegetables, peas, and meat to spaghetti and mix well; adjust seasonings to taste. Turn mixture into a buttered 13- x 9-inch baking dish (or other shallow, ovenproof dish of similar size), sprinkle evenly with reserved breadcrumbs, and bake until breadcrumbs brown and mixture is bubbly, 13 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Serves 8