-as described in Julia Child & Company–

INGREDIENTS—SERVES 8

• ¼ c. plain raw white rice
• 1 and ½ sticks butter
• 1 egg + 2 egg yolks
• ½ lb. fresh mushrooms
• Handful fresh parsley (enough to make 3 T. minced)
• ½ t. tarragon
• Pepper
• 12 or more turkey breast slices (note: this recipe is usually made with raw turkey, but your leftovers will work fine)
• 1 T. vegetable oil (e.g., olive oil)
• 3 cups hot turkey or chicken stock
• ½ c. low-fat cottage cheese
• 1 c. lightly pressed down coarsely grated mozzarella cheese

Rice And Onion Soubise

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Drop the rice into a saucepan with 2 quarts rapidly boiling salted water and boil uncovered for exactly 5 minutes; drain immediately and reserve.

Chop onions roughly, and then mince in food processor. Melt 4 T. butter in a baking dish, stir in the onions, the drained rice, and 1/4 t. salt, mixing well to coat with the butter; cover the dish and bake for 1 hour, stirring up once or twice until the rice is completely tender and beginning to turn a golden yellow. When the rice is done and still warm, beat in the egg; taste carefully and correct seasoning. 

Mushroom Duxelles

While rice and onion soubise is cooking, trim and wash mushrooms. Chop into tiny pieces in the food processor and remove. Mince the parsley in processor afterward. By handfuls, either twist mushrooms hard in the corner of a towel or squeeze through a potato ricer to extract as much of the juices as possible. Sauté the mushrooms in 2 T. butter, stirring and tossing until mushroom pieces begin to separate—5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the tarragon and parsley; season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir half of the mixture into the cooked rice and onion soubise; reserve the rest.

PREPARING THE TURKEY SCALLOPINI

Pound the slices between 2 sheets of waxed paper to expand them about double, and thin them down to half.

Salt and pepper the slices lightly, dredge in flour and shake off excess, sauté for about a minute on each side in 1 T. of oil and 2 T. butter (more if needed), just to stiffen them and barely cook through. Set slices aside on a plate as you finish them.

The GRAtinéing SAuce

Make a turkey velouté sauce as follows. Melt 4 T. butter over moderate heat; blend in flour, and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon until flour and butter foam and froth together for 2 minutes without turning more than a golden yellow. Remove from heat and, when this roux stops bubbling, pour in 2 cups of hot turkey or chicken stock and blend vigorously with a wire whip. Return to heat, stirring and boiling slowly for 2 minutes.

In the food processor or an electric blender, purée the egg yolks with the cottage cheese. Beat the hot sauce into the cheese mixture.

Assembling the Dish

Butter the inside of the dish and spread a thin layer of sauce in bottom of dish. Make a neat and slightly overlapping pattern of the turkey slices down the center of the dish, spreading each, as you go, with the soubise. Spoon remaining mushroom duxelles down the sides. Spoon remaining sauce over the turkey and spread the mozzarella cheese on top.

Bake approximately 25 minutes in 400-degree oven.

Should be served promptly.