Name: Veronese Rolled Turkey Loaf (Polpettone)
Yield: Yield: 8–10 servings
Ingredients: 2 celery stalks, including leaves, coarsely chopped; 3–4 large garlic cloves, finely minced; 2–2½ quarts chicken broth, preferably homemade, or good-quality low-sodium canned; 1 half turkey, skin intact (about 7–10 pounds); Salt and freshly ground black pepper; Green Olive Sauce (substitute 2 teaspoons mayonnaise for the mustard) or mayonnaise diluted with some of the cooking broth; 3 large carrots, scraped and quartered; ½ teaspoon ground allspice; 3–4 eggs (use 3 if turkey is around 7 pounds, 4 if it weighs closer to 10), beaten; 1 large onion, quartered

Preparation info

Yield:
8–10
servings

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Gefilte Variations

By Jayne Cohen

Published 2000

About

Like its poor relation, the Ashkenazi helzel, a goose neck filled with fat, flour, and scraps of meat, this refined loaf of boned and rolled turkey (similar to a ballotine), favored by Italian Jews for holiday meals, relies on gentle cooking within a pouch sewn of poultry skin to keep the contents moist and succulent.

Variations of this polpettone are found throughout the Jewish communities of Italy, some calling for additions of ground veal or pistachios, some grinding the t