Open-Faced Hot Turkey Sandwiches
- Total Time
- 1 hour 15 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:2 servings
- 2turkey thighs
- 4tablespoons unsalted butter
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 1tablespoon lemon zest
- 1cup dry white wine
- 2 to 3cups turkey or chicken stock
- 4tablespoons instant flour, or all-purpose flour
- 2tablespoons cream, milk or half-and-half
- 2slices bread of your choosing, traditionally white sandwich bread
- Buttered peas, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce, for serving
Preparation
- Step 1
Remove turkey and butter from the refrigerator an hour or so before cooking, so that they are approaching room temperature when the turkey goes into the oven.
- Step 2
Heat oven to 400. Rub turkey with butter, using your fingers to slide butter under the skin. Season the turkey with salt, pepper, sage and lemon zest.
- Step 3
Place turkey thighs, skin-side down, into a cast-iron skillet or medium-size oven-safe gratin pan, and roast in the oven for 30 minutes. Turn turkey thighs over, add the wine to the pan or skillet and continue roasting for another 30 minutes or so, basting occasionally, until the turkey is cooked through, golden and crisp, and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the turkey’s thickest part reads in the neighborhood of 165 degrees. Remove turkey thighs from the pan, and allow to rest on a cutting board while you make the gravy.
- Step 4
Heat the stock in a small pot. Drain off all but four tablespoons of the fat in the pan or gratin dish. Place pan or dish over low heat on the stove, and whisk the flour into it to make a roux. Stir the roux for 3 to 4 minutes, and then slowly start to add the stock to it, whisking as you do, until the mixture is smooth. Cook, continuing to stir, until the gravy has thickened, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Add the cream, milk or half-and-half, stir and allow the gravy to thicken again, 2 to 3 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Step 5
To make the sandwiches, carve meat and skin from the turkey thighs, and assemble two separate piles. Toast the bread, and lay one slice on each plate. Put a pile of the meat on each piece of toast, spreading it across the surface of the bread. Absolutely drench each sandwich with the gravy, and serve alongside buttered peas, mashed potatoes and a dollop of cranberry sauce. For this application, canned cranberry sauce is, by etiquette, required.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Joe
Sam Sifton takes a real old-hat term like "open-faced" and makes it new again. Too many people bad-mouth American cooking, but you just have to do it right with good ingredients and balance - like Mr. Sifton. I might have to eschew the bread if I go with the mashed potatoes because of the carbs. Nonetheless, this is a grand idea. I must take exception to the canned cranberry sauce imperative. If fresh are available, one can make them easy with spices and liquor family favorites for zing.
TD
I'm surprised this overlooks the obvious: the more the bread can approximate stuffing, the better... dash of sage & thyme, fine chop celery and onion for a garnish, etc... And of course, here in Tennessee we serve on cornbread. (As in cornbread dressing: skillet savory cornbread, NO SUGAR ADDED EVER.)
Timothy CLARK
As turkey is a given, the bread is an important thought. As a favorite, use a croissant sliced to make an open book. Then butter the open halves and fry for 10 minutes. And then : sliced turkey, mustard & mayo (homemade), and your favorite greens.
JoanC
When I've had this sandwich in the past it has come with both white and dark meat together, so as long as it's turkey it will work. Couple of things: I would think you'd have to be careful not to overcook it - adjust the roasting time. Plus you'd have to use a roasting pan instead of a skillet since a turkey breast is quite a large, curved beast, so no starting out skin side down, etc. - just roast it.
ed
Don't nitpick the details, just do it. Dark or white meat? Either. Want stuffing? Knock yourself out, but this turkey and gravy over whatever toasted bread you have is great. (Brioche?) Cranberry sauce from a can? Fine, too. Does your liquid post-cooking seem like too much? It's okay. If you have good stock you will still have gravy that you want to drink from a glass. So relax. This is a great way to have the best of a turkey dinner w/o cooking a whole turkey. Plus, you've opened the wine so...
carol
Having trouble finding thighs. Breast work just as well?
Equilibrist
The bread was always untoasted when I was growing up! Yes, it gets saturated throughout with gravy, but that’s kind of the point.
happybill
This is perfect as written and does indeed remind me of joyous tv dinner memories.
Carla
Just great! Made with supermarket thighs and followed recipe exactly with two exceptions. Firstly, took Melissa Clark’s suggestion to generously salt and pepper thighs and let them rest in refrigerator uncovered for as many hours as you can to find ensure crisp skin. When the thighs were done, I realized I had forgotten to add the wine so I removed them from the pan, added the wine and basically deglazed the pan, then continued cooking and reducing the liquid till I had just 4 Tbsp for gravy.
Karen
Yes, Joe, we can easily make better homemade cranberry sauce. This, however, is a culturally ceremonial “diner” nostagia opportunity. As fried spam needs canned pineapple, so an openface turkey sandwich needs canned cranberry. Perhaps you were not a military brat?
Vika
Delicious with turkey tenderloins following the directions for thighs. Roasted sweet potatoes and homemade relish along with the sandwiches made a great meal.
Beth
Delicious. We only had turkey breasts at the store but I went ahead and followed the directions. This made the best turkey breast I have ever had. This was not only a nostalgic, fun meal but has changed the way I will cook turkey. I did make one change to the recipe-I couldn't toss the cooking juice and only use a few tablespoons so I used it all in the gravy and it was incredible.
ed
Don't nitpick the details, just do it. Dark or white meat? Either. Want stuffing? Knock yourself out, but this turkey and gravy over whatever toasted bread you have is great. (Brioche?) Cranberry sauce from a can? Fine, too. Does your liquid post-cooking seem like too much? It's okay. If you have good stock you will still have gravy that you want to drink from a glass. So relax. This is a great way to have the best of a turkey dinner w/o cooking a whole turkey. Plus, you've opened the wine so...
Tobalah
Just dice some onion and put it under and on top of the turkey before roasting. oK to salt. So savory and tasty. Lets the turkey shine.
Botany Boy
About 2 weeks ago I roasted 2 supermarket turkey thighs on a bed of stuffing and ate with gravy. The meat had no flavor at all. I will try again with the butter rub but I am not hopeful. I expect that I have been spoiled by the excellent birds we get around here in Nov/Dec.
Equilibrist
The bread was always untoasted when I was growing up! Yes, it gets saturated throughout with gravy, but that’s kind of the point.
CS
One way to amp up a bland gravy if you use a skinless cut of turkey is to add a bit of Better Than Bouillon vegetable base and/or a dash or two of fish sauce.
Sandy R
Can soy milk be substituted for regular milk in the recipe?
Susan
I guess I need to use much less wine--I wind up with way too much liquid in the pan with the thighs. Anyone else having this problem?
dihard1946
In Pittsburgh we serve an open-faced, hot turkey sandwich with a side of French fries and drown them both with gravy!
Timothy CLARK
As turkey is a given, the bread is an important thought. As a favorite, use a croissant sliced to make an open book. Then butter the open halves and fry for 10 minutes. And then : sliced turkey, mustard & mayo (homemade), and your favorite greens.
carol
Having trouble finding thighs. Breast work just as well?
Lauretta
Did you get a reply if turkey breast will work as well? Same here having trouble finding thighs.
JoanC
When I've had this sandwich in the past it has come with both white and dark meat together, so as long as it's turkey it will work. Couple of things: I would think you'd have to be careful not to overcook it - adjust the roasting time. Plus you'd have to use a roasting pan instead of a skillet since a turkey breast is quite a large, curved beast, so no starting out skin side down, etc. - just roast it.
home cook
I made with breast and it was delicious.... was able to cook to perfect temp because it was breast only (not a whole bird), super moist.
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