Turkey Fillet with Ouzo in Parchment Bundles

If you don’t have a whole team available to help you preparing the christmas turkey, this is the recipe. Very very easy, plus you can prepare everything from the previous evening and keep them in your fridge. The juices coming out from the mushrooms and the greens, make the turkey soft and tender. And the combination of ouzo and thyme really lifts the taste. This time make the difference, and prepare your turkey the Mediterranean way.

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Hands on: 30 minutes

Portion: 6 guests

Ingredients

For the parchment Bundles:

1 ½ kgs. (3.3 lb or 52.9 oz) turkey fillet, (cut in 6)

500 g (1.1 lb or 17.6 oz) medium white mushrooms

250 g (0.55 lb or 8.8 oz) small potatoes (peeled),

..or 2 medium size potatoes

2-3 cups greens (spinach, endive, chard) washed,

..sorted and cut into 4-5 cm pieces

2 tablespoons fresh thyme, only the leaves,

..or 1 tbsp dry thyme

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

For the sauce:

8 tablespoons light heavy cream

2 tablespoons Greek ouzo

8 tablespoons parmesan cheese (grated)

1 clove of garlic (finely chopped)

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (finely chopped) or 1 tbsp dry thyme

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How to do it

For the sauce:

1. Combine the heavy cream, parmesan, ouzo and finely chopped garlic in a bowl.

2. Mix with a spoon and add some finely chopped thyme leaves.

3. Set aside until needed.

For the parchment bundles:

1. Preheat oven to 200oC (400oF, Gas 6) Fan.

2. Cut 6 large sheets of parchment paper and 6 large sheets of aluminum foil.

3. Place the aluminum foil under the parchment paper.

4. Start filling your pouches.

5. Put some greens on the parchment paper. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Chop the mushrooms in half or into 4 pieces if they are too large. Add a few pieces of mushrooms over the greens. No need to sauté them. We need their moisture.

7. Season the mushrooms in each bundle with salt and pepper.

8. Peel the small potatoes.

9. Cut them into 4 pieces each. Brown them lightly in a pan along with some olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Add 1-tablespoon thyme leaves (finely chopped) to the pan. When the potatoes have turned golden, remove from pan. Let them aside.

10. Add a little olive oil in the same pan and brown the 6 turkey pieces on both sides. Season with salt and pepper and add 1-tablespoon thyme leaves (finely chopped). Let the fillets get brown and turn the heat off.

11. Then divide the potatoes and the turkey fillets among the pouches.

12. Add the sauce and drizzle with some olive oil.

13. Place the bundles into a large baking pan. Close each bundle completely by bringing the edges of the parchment paper and the aluminum foil together. Fold to crimp closed.

14. Put the baking pan with the parchment bundles in oven.

15. Bake for 40-45 minutes.

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Tips

• Season with salt and pepper generously. The Kid-friendly bundles should contain less pepper of course.

• Before you take them out of the oven, pick one parchment bundle, open it, cut the turkey fillet and check whether it is well done. Check the potatoes too.

• If you have more guests, just make more bundles. You can even prepare them one day before, and keep them in the fridge. Just take them out of the fridge, at least one hour before you place them in the oven.