“This is a Thanksgiving feast in a bite,” says Chef Meg Gray, who heads up Tujague’s in New Orleans, one of the city’s oldest restaurants. The French Quarter spot is open on Thanksgiving this year, serving a traditional turkey dinner of oyster dressing, mashed potatoes, haricot verts, giblet gravy, and cranberry sauce. And Gray knows just what to do with the leftovers come Friday morning.
After all, Tujague’s has a long history with brunch. The restaurant’s beloved weekend brunch tradition started back in the 1870s, when the original location was a small coffee exchange that served a hearty eleven o’clock “butcher’s breakfast” to the butchers across the street. Today, Tujague’s kicks off the day with the likes of oyster benedicts, andouille hash, and boudin balls.
But on the day after Thanksgiving, Gray is cooking up a different kind of spread. Once, she saw a friend’s mom pack her leftovers into crescent rolls, and, inspired, she made her own version using puff pastry, into which she loaded the works: leftover turkey, dressing, greens, sweet potato, and a little cranberry sauce. The specifics, really, are up to you, Gray says, but be careful not to overstuff, or the filling will leak out and the pastry will be difficult to close.
Below, find her recipe—and be sure and dip the end product in leftover gravy.
