Turkey in tomatoes

The best dish ever – place everything in a pot, put it in the oven, and forget about it while the meat is infused with the juices from the eggplant and tomatoes, which, in turn, are transformed by the nuances of the turkey. Just a bit of fat and oil, sage and everything that is good! And it turns out that turkey fat isn’t even bad for you. But if you really don’t want it, you can ignore the sauce, but it’s the sauce that has it all – tomatoes, garlic, and the juices from the meat that you will want to mop up with some bread. 

Ingredients

1 kg tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
30 ml olive oil for frying
800 g organic turkey thighs
12 sage leaves
300 g eggplant, sliced thinly lengthwise
sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
handful of basil leaves
handful of parsley leaves

Prepare

Heat the oven to 200°. Use a pan that can go from stove top to oven and is just slightly larger than the turkey thigh – it will be easier to cover.

Make a cross on the tops of the tomatoes with a knife. Boil water in a pot and have a bowl of ice water ready. When the water is boiling, plunge the tomatoes in for 10 seconds and then transfer immediately into the ice water. Peel the tomatoes, cut in half, remove the seeds and juice, and chop. Mix in salt, 1 tsp pepper, and garlic.

Heat oil in a pan and on medium heat, fry the meat until both sides are golden brown. When you turn the meat, add half a sage leaf. When the meat is golden, sprinkle with salt, and arrange the eggplant slices on top. Then top with tomatoes to cover everything – top and sides. If desired, add a few more sage leaves and then bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Turn down the heat to 170° and bake another 2-3 h. Remove and arrange on a serving dish. Decorate with parsley and basil and grind pepper on top. Serve.

Recipe and pictures: Signe Meirane
Camera: Sony Alpha 7s