BOUDIN BALLS: As I don't have a sausage stuffer, I form this mixture into balls and fry them. These boudin balls are my grandchildrens' favorite dish, and I think they look forward to the boudin balls made from leftover turkey more than they do to the Thanksgiving meal.
Like many Cajun dishes, the recipe looks long because there are a lot of ingredients. It's really a one-step process of simmering everything together in a pot, then forming the mixture into balls and frying them.
I freeze some of these to have as hors d'oeuvres for the Christmas holidays...cool after frying and put into a freezer container or bag.
Yield: Makes 4 dozen
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds leftover turkey, coarsely chopped
- 4 cups water
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 teaspoons salt, divided
- 2 teaspoons black pepper, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup chopped green onions
- 3 cups cooked rice (about 1 cup raw)
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1 1/2 cups plain dried bread crumbs
- 3 cups oil for frying (this gives a 1/2-inch depth in a 10-inch
- skillet)
Preparation:
Place the turkey, water, onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, 2 teaspoons of the salt, 1 teaspoon of the black pepper, and the cayenne in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and gently boil, uncovered, for 45 minutes.
Drain, reserving the liquid. Place the meat and cooked vegetables, fresh parsley, and green onions in a food processor and pulse about 20 times until well mixed but not pureed. Transfer to a large bowl.
Add rice to the mixture and gently stir to combine, adding the reserved broth 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture can be formed into balls and will hold its shape (I usually need 2-3 tablespoons broth). Taste, and add more seasoning if necessary. Using about 2 tablespoons turkey mixture for each one, shape into balls.*
Place flour, eggs, and bread crumbs mixed with the remaining salt and pepper in three separate dishes. Roll the balls in the flour, then the beaten egg, and then in the bread crumbs.
Heat the oil to 375ºF in a large saucepan. When the oil is hot add the balls, 5 or 6 at a time, adjusting the heat up or down as necessary to maintain a temperature of about 375ºF. Transfer the balls to paper towels as you remove them from the oil; they will take 2-3 minutes to fry.
*These may also be formed into mini balls the size of large marbles to have as hors d'oeuvres. Use about 2 teaspoons turkey mixture for each mini ball. The frying time will be 1-2 minutes for these smaller balls.
Makes 4 dozen (serves 6 as an entree) or 12 dozen mini balls for hors d'oeuvres.More Recipes Using Leftover Turkey
Cajun Turkey Jambalaya
Savory Turkey Cobbler
Turkey Casserole With Havarti Cheese
Turkey Tetrazzini Recipe
Hot Turkey Sandwich