Creamed Turkey with Corn and Bacon over Polenta - A Historic Recipe

"Polenta, known to the colonists as corn meal mush, would be simmered slowly in front of a wood fire while the bacon was frying in a cast-iron "spider," a skillet with three legs set directly upon the coals." From The Lewis and Clark Cookbook.

FMM Note: this polenta takes a long time to cook down and thicken - you don't want it "slightly thickened" as the recipe says, otherwise you end up with soup. The polenta needs to cook about 30 minutes, stirring frequently - especially when it starts to get thick. We also needed to make and add more cream sauce to give the turkey a saucier texture, although we may have added more turkey than the recipe called for. The tomatoes definately add another level of flavor to the sauce; don't omit them. Another improvement would be to make the sauce without adding the turkey so it doesn't break down. Add the turkey just add the end to heat it through before serving.

6 slices bacon, chopped
2 cups corn kernels
2 cups cooked diced turkey
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup milk
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Polenta:
4 cups turkey stock
1 cup cornmeal
6 ounces (about 1-1/2 cups) diced fontina cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Add the corn and turkey and sauté until the corn is cooked through. Remove the mixture from the skillet to a bowl and set aside.

Add the butter to the skillet. Sprinkle the flour into the skillet and whisk until blended and bubbly. Slowly add the cream and the milk in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Simmer, continuing to whisk, until the mixture has slightly thickened. Stir in the reserved turkey mixture, tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until heated through. Stir in the basil and keep warm over low heat.

Polenta: In a large heavy saucepan, bring the turkey stock to a boil over medium-high heat. Whisking constantly, slowly add the corn meal a little at a time. Reduce the heat to medium and continue whisking until mixture has slightly thickened. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the fontina and Parmesan. Note: salt is not needed when cooking the cornmeal because the cheese is salty enough. The original recipe called for adding 1 tsp. to the turkey stock and I found it overly salty. Plus the stock I used probably had salt added to it. Taste the polenta and add salt if needed.

Serves: 4