Diner-Style Hot Open-Faced Turkey with Schmaltz Gravy
The Deli Counter Lunch
A heavy oval diner plate holding an ice cream scoop of mashed potatoes and commercial white bread demands scalding schmaltz gravy, but you don't need a commercial rotisserie or a fifteen-pound bird to recreate the garlic-heavy steam of an old-school Jewish deli on a Tuesday night. Rendered poultry fat provides the savory base that transforms a humble flour-and-broth roux into a velvety brotyoykh, and by fortifying store-bought stock and poaching thick-cut deli turkey right in the pan, we bridge the gap to a twenty-minute dinner—served over sturdy Jewish rye exactly the way it should be. Eat it before the bread collapses.
Ingredients
- schmaltz1/4 cup
- shallot1 small
- all-purpose flour1/4 cup
- low-sodium turkey or chicken stock2 cup
- roasted turkey or chicken bouillon paste1 tsp
- fresh thyme leaves1/2 tsp
- dark soy sauce1/2 tsp
- thick-sliced deli roasted turkey breast1 lb
- Jewish rye bread4 large
Method
- 01
Whisk the stock, bouillon paste, and dark soy sauce together until fully dissolved.
Heating the stock slightly in the microwave beforehand helps the bouillon integrate quickly and prevents lumps later.
- 02
Heat the schmaltz in a wide skillet over medium heat until it shimmers.
Add the finely minced shallot and sauté gently for 3 to 4 minutes until deeply softened and translucent, allowing the sweet onion flavor to infuse the fat.
- 03
Sprinkle the flour over the melted schmaltz and whisk constantly for 1 to 2 minutes.
The mixture will resemble wet sand; cooking it briefly eliminates the raw cereal taste and lightly toasts the starches to a pale golden color.
- 04
Vigorously whisk the warm fortified stock into the skillet to emulsify the roux.
Pour slowly and keep whisking to ensure the roux dissolves entirely without forming lumps, then stir in the fresh thyme leaves.
- 05
Bring the gravy to a gentle boil to activate the starches, then immediately reduce to a simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.
The gravy will thicken beautifully into a velvety consistency that coats the back of a spoon. Taste for seasoning, keeping in mind the bouillon and deli turkey already provide plenty of salt.
- 06
Reduce the heat to low, separate the slices of deli turkey, and submerge them directly into the simmering gravy.
Let the turkey steep in the hot liquid for 2 to 3 minutes to warm through, infusing the meat with savory flavor and ensuring it remains incredibly moist.
- 07
Place a slice of toasted rye bread on each plate and drape the hot turkey generously over the top.
Ladle a generous amount of the rich schmaltz gravy completely over the turkey and bread, allowing it to pool on the plate, and serve immediately.
Notes
You can easily render your own schmaltz and gribenes at home.
Ask your butcher for leftover chicken skin and fat. Chop it up, place it in a skillet with half a chopped onion and a splash of water, and cook on medium-low until the fat renders and the skin turns into crispy cracklings (gribenes).
To make this dish gluten-free, substitute the flour roux with a simple cornstarch slurry.
Skip the flour entirely. Heat the stock and schmaltz together, whisk in a mixture of 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of cold water, and simmer for 1 minute until instantly thickened.