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11/22/1999 Archived Entry: "Bert Greene's Turkey Tetrazzini"

Go ahead all you fat phobics, cringe at the cream, not to mention the butter. This is the way I want my turkey leftovers.

Bert Greene was a good friend and, among his many other writing credits, food columnist for the New York Daily News from 1979 until his death in 1988, while I was the food editor. I had the memorable pleasure of eating at his apartment in Greenwich Village innumerable times and I can testify: he made a mean turkey Tetrazzini. I found this recipe in his first solo cookbook, “Bert Greene’s Kitchen Bouquets,” published in 1979, which is when I first met him. I think there was a slightly different version published in the News some years later. You may have it in your files.

“I could not face Thanksgiving without this recipe in my apron pocket,” Bert says in the introduction. Ditto Schwartz.

Bert Greene’s Turkey Tetrazzini

Serves 4 to 6

1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 pound thin spaghetti
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups hot chicken broth (or turkey broth, if you happen to have it)
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons dry (fino) sherry
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups cooked turkey, cut into strips
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Saute mushrooms in 3 tablespoons of butter in a skillet until golden; reserve. Cook spaghetti in boiling, salted water just until tender. Rinse under cold running water and drain.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour until smooth. Gradually add the hot broth; cook, stirring constantly, until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the cream and sherry; cook over low heat until thick, about 8 minutes. Add nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.

Combine the sauce with the spaghetti in a large saucepan. Toss over low heat 2 minutes. Add the turkey and reserved mushrooms; mix well.

Transfer the turkey mixture to a buttered overproof casserole. Spoon Parmesan cheese over top. Bake 20 minutes.