Stretch a couple turkey necks into a starter for 4 people by slow cooking, shredding, then pan-frying.

This very unctuous use of turkey necks is great as a small appetizer (2 turkey necks easily make enough for 4-6 people), or as a lighter meal with a nice salad of endive, arugula, young mustard greens or mixed lettuces in a vinaigrette. By cooking the necks down to a very shreddy texture, you get a lot of gelatin to bind these little crunchy cakes, especially with some reduced broth added in. I serve these with a simple, mustard-forward sauce with a little chopped pickle.

Serves 4

2 turkey necks, or 1 neck and 1 wing

1 small onion, halved

1 bay leaf, fresh or dried

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated

Zest of 1 organic lemon, grated

Salt and pepper

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 egg, beaten

1 cup breadcrumbs, preferably panko

Sauce 

2 tbsp Dijon or other hot mustard

2 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tbsp chopped cornichons or dill pickles

Fat, butter or oil for pan frying

Place the turkey necks, onion and bay in a slow cooker or medium pot and cover with water. Bring to a simmer and cook, adding water if necessary to keep them covered, until very tender, about 3-5 hours.

Remove the necks from the broth and shred them into a medium bowl. Strain the broth into another small pot, discarding the onion and bay. Bring the broth to a simmer and cook until reduced to about ¼ cup.

Add the reduced broth, garlic and lemon to the bowl with the turkey and mix very well until homogenous and sticky. Season well with salt and pepper.

Place the turkey on a double layer of plastic wrap. Roll it up into a 6” long tube, then twist each end in opposite directions to compact and tighten the roll. Refrigerate the turkey for at least 6 hours, during which time it should become very solid and firm.

Cut the turkey roll into 4 equal pieces, trimming off the rounded end pieces (save for another preparation). Keep cold.

Place the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs in separate dishes and bread the croquettes by first dusting in flour, then dipping completely in egg, then in the breadcrumbs. Return the croquettes to the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Mix together the mayonnaise, mustard and chopped pickles and in a small bowl.

Heat enough fat or oil over medium-high heat in a medium pan so the fat will come halfway up the croquettes. Once the fat is hot, add some of the breaded croquettes to the pan and cook until golden on one side, then gently flip them with a spatula and cook the other side. As they are cooked, drain them on paper towels or a rack.

Once all of the croquettes are cooked, serve them immediately with the mustard sauce.