Bills vs. Pats week! When I think of Buffalo, I think of Anchor Bar sauce, Niagra Falls, The Comeback, Lake Effect Snow, and virtuousness. When I think of New England, I think of Thanksgiving, Maple Syrup, Illegal Videotaping, and Cake. I don’t mean to offend any readers. Just like food being customizable, the human mind remembers events and patterns based on precepts…so I accept that others may have different associative lists (even if mine represent the most correct listing).
Anyway, back to the food! The general idea for combining Maple Syrup and Buffalo Sauce comes from a menu at a restaurant in Littleton New Hampshire (Littleton Freehouse). My wife and I visited on our vacation last month, and while I got the Duck Reuben (how could I not?), she went for the Maple Buffalo Chicken Sandwich. She graciously gave me a bite of her entree, and I was hooked. The spicy/sweet/tangy combination of both ingredients was somehow perfect, and I never would have thought to do it on my own!
Since Maple Syrup is very New Englandy, and we had leftover turkey wings from our annual post-Thanksgiving discount turkey, we decided to serve this newfound sauce with pulled turkey and crumbled blue cheese. Then, we served it over our Mashed Celery Root (gotta have something celery with Buffalo sauce!) with a side of steamed broccoli!
Time: 6 Hours (5.5 hours is just letting your crockpot/slow cooker do its thing)
Ingredients:
- Turkey. We used Turkey Wings, but Turkey Breast (with skin) would probably work well too…and be easier to find.
- Buffalo Sauce. We highly suggest Anchor Bar brand if you have access to it.
- Maple Syrup. Use the real stuff.
- Crumbled Blue Cheese
- Optional for subtle flavour: A few stalks of celery
Method:
- Place your turkey meat in a crockpot, sprinkle a little salt and pepper, and set to low. Allow to cook for 5.5+ hours. Add stalks of celery to the crockpot when you turn it on if you’re planning to use them.
- When your turkey is done, remove it from the pot, and place onto a cutting board. Remove the skin, and pull the meat from the bones. Place the meat into a large bowl. (If using boneless meat, you can just put it straight into a bowl).
- Use two forks to shred your turkey meat.
- Pour some Buffalo sauce and maple syrup over your meat, and stir to combine.
- Transfer your turkey to a frying pan, and cook until it’s hot again.
- Plate, add crumbled blue cheese, devour, and enjoy!
