How does turkey fit in with the scheme of your operation?
Turkey has always been very popular in New England –
maybe because of its Pilgrim roots. It’s part of our
culinary landscape in New England, and it’s a must-have
in a quick service setting because of its versatility and
ease of preparation. We roast fresh turkey breasts everyday
for our soup and sandwiches. I like having the ability to
roast the turkeys in my own kitchen rather than bringing them
in cooked. The reason behind my method is that when we roast
the turkeys we pour chicken stock around the turkeys to keep
them moist during cooking. At the end of their cooking time
the chicken stock has turned into a wonderful turkey demi
glaze, and that is what we use to enhance the flavors in our
poultry-based soups and rich, wonderful gravies.
How do you currently menu turkey?
Nothing tastes as good as homemade turkey soup made the old
fashioned way. Our Turkey and Wild Rice Dijonnaise and Turkey
and Winter Root Vegetable soups make our customers very happy.
Freshly roasted turkey breast makes our sandwiches taste that
much better because we control how we season them before cooking,
which lets us create the flavors that we want our customers
to taste. Our turkey and havarti cheese roll-up sandwiches
have always been popular, so it has a place on our menu year
round. As we cook seasonally you will find our Fallwich
Sandwich available throughout the autumn months. In the
spring and summer months, we combine roasted turkey with lots
of fresh vegetables, imported cheeses and homemade condiments
that give each sandwich its own identity.
What are the compelling points that make turkey adaptable
for soups?
Turkey has a personality that you can dress up or dress down
depending on your mood. At lunchtime you can be casual, and
turkey soups and sandwiches make it the perfect fit. If you
want to dress up a dish in those categories, at lunchtime
you can add fresh or dried fruits, nuts and cheese. Dinnertime
turkey meals can be rich and flakey potpies with a flavorful
turkey velouté (a rich, white French sauce) sauce.
Turkey tips marinated and grilled served over cranberry studded
rice makes an easy and delicious dinner that is both wholesome
and nutritious. I’ve never met anyone that did not love
an old-fashioned turkey dinner or hot turkey sandwich open-faced
with gravy.
Why do you think your patrons order these turkey items?
Our customers are very conscious of what they eat as many
of them are doctors and in the business of good health. Low
in fat and high in protein, turkey tastes delicious and does
not compromise their eating standards. Our customers crave
great food and really like to eat well, but it is just as
important for them to be making healthy choices -- and turkey
does all of this for our menu.
How would you describe your approach to cooking?
We are the New England Soup Factory and we celebrate life
in the North East by using the foods that are indigenous to
our landscape and culture.
From a business perspective, why do you include turkey
on your menu (food cost, versatility, consumer demand, etc)?
Turkey is the easiest item to sell because it is what our
customers are looking for when choosing their meals. It’s
easy to eat and they feel as though they have eaten healthy.
We make it a point to let our customers know that we roast
our own turkeys daily so that they know the extra steps we
have taken to ensure that the best products are served in
our stores.
When thinking about other proteins you serve why did
you choose turkey for this menu item as opposed to chicken,
beef or pork?
Turkey is an easy fit for a concept built around soups, stocks,
salad and sandwiches. Turkey has so much life to it that nothing
ever goes to waste including the bones, which are essential
in making stock because they contain collagen that will fortify
the soup.
With the current push in the industry for healthier
menu options, how does turkey help you meet this growing consumer
demand?
We like to eat healthy just as much as our customers do! So
these healthy options have always existed on our menus.
How do you use the web as a tool in your work?
I am able to communicate through our Web site to our customers
on a daily basis. Menu changes and updates appear daily, as
well as information on our company, events and the sale our
New England Soup Factory Cookbook, which is available
on our site: www.newenglandsoupfactory.com
Do you use the NTF web site, EatTurkey.com, as a resource?
I like to read about different chefs from across the country
and see how they interpret recipes using turkey and putting
their creative flair on it.
