Chicken Fried Wild Turkey

I love to go to a small hole-in-the-wall restaurant that serves Chicken Fried Steak as their house specialty. It is amazing on how many variations of this preparation actually exists. It is fun to prepare and fun to eat and of course, we’re not really worried about calories and fat intake on this dish.

Enjoy and Good Cooking, Chef Wutsch

Ingredients:

  • 1-2 lbs Turkey Breast
  • S&P tt
  • ]½ c Canola Oil

Seasoning Spice Blend (divide in half)

  • 2 tsp Onion Powder
  • 2 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 2 tsp Black Pepper
  • 1 tsp Kosher Salt
  • ½ tsp Cayenne Pepper

1 c Flour for dredging

Egg Wash

  • 3 Eggs
  • 1 c Buttermilk

Gravy

  • ½ lb Bacon 1” slices
  • ¼ c Bacon Fat
  • ½ c Flour
  • ½ Spice Blend from above
  • 1 qt Half & Half
  • 2 T Chicken Base

Garnish

  • 2 T Chives, chopped
  • Bacon Slices, cooked

Method:

Prepare spice blend and divide in half, use half for seasoning cutlets and reserve the other half for seasoning the gravy.  

Remove fascia from turkey breast, slice into 2 oz medallions, lightly pound into thin cutlets, season with half the spice blend, reserve.  

Prepare egg wash, reserve. Mise en place gravy ingredients. Slice bacon into 1” strips, render fat, reserve bacon crisp for garnish. Reserve bacon fat for gravy.

Heat canola oil in large cast iron pan. Dredge seasoned cutlets in flour, knock off excess flour, dredge floured cutlet in egg-wash, then dredge back into flour.  

Place coated cutlet into hot fat, turn once, remove, reserve. Once all cutlets have been cooked, pour off fat and reserve, wipe out pan.  

Prepare gravy by adding bacon fat and what little fat is left from frying meat. (total fat ¼ c) Add flour to hot fat, add the second half of spice blend, add half & half and chicken base, bring to boil, adjust flavor and consistency.  

Serve gravy under steak top with bacon pieces and chopped chives.

Substitutions:

Use pheasant, grouse, or hog for turkey.  

Substitute sausage and sausage fat for the bacon and bacon fat for gravy.

Use avocado oil instead of canola, or all bacon fat.  

Substitute milk or combination of buttermilk for half & half.

Cooking Options:

Use bread crumbs in place of second flour dredging.

Use Jaccard to tenderize meat before dredging.

Notes:

Don’t smoother meat in gravy for too long because it will ruin the coating.

Serve with smashed potatoes topped with gravy.  

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