More than one person has balked at the thought of mixing chicken stock with apple cider, but I have yet to receive any complaints from any who have tasted it. I begin with one quart of each, add some white wine, seasonal spices (cinnamon, allspice, cloves, cardamom), and reduce this to two cups. The result is an unbelievable, mouth-watering, autumnal gravy which does a superb job of blending ingredients.

Setting aside the sauce, I sautéed onion, carrot, eggplant, yellow squash, zucchini, and turkey bacon in olive oil until the veggies were mushy. Tossing that aside, I used the same pan to brown a pound of floured turkey cubes, then added the veggies, and finally the sauce. The extra flour from the turkey mixes with the cider-broth and makes a nice thick gravy. Once the filling cooled a bit, I wrapped it in a pie shell and baked until golden brown (45@350˚).

This is one of those dishes that tastes great just out of the oven, but only gets better as the flavors blend together over time. The leftovers won’t make it past Tuesday.

This was a lovely rub with lots of organic garlic, pepper, Jane’s Krazy Mixed Up Salt, and a fresh herb “poultry mix.” Left to sit in the fridge for several hours, and then warmed up to room temperature before grilling. Served with fresh garlic bread (also grilled). I would definitely order this again in a restaurant.