To be honest, I keep trying to imagine this recipe with turkey and failing. Could you make the brisket for the others and something else for yourself? I know it would be more work and seems a bit unfair to you as you can't eat it, but I really think using turkey would radically change the recipe and not for the better. Sorry.

I stand to be corrected, but that's my opinion.

I agree, mostly, with Colleen, but there might be ways to approximate the flavor. I've done similar brisket recipes. I don't know if a turkey version would be similar enough, however, and I wouldn't try it for the first time on Friday!

Look at the dissimilarities first: Brisket is a tough cut of meat with a lot of connective tissue and a thick fat cap. It needs to be cooked a long time for the connective tissue to break down--the sugar helps this--and for the fat to render. Turkey thighs are fairly lean and don't want to be cooked past done. Compare your recipe to this recipe for stewed turkey parts (do them to just barely cooked if you're going to reheat): http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/stewed-turkey-with-herbs-and-onions-235929

I think if you cook the tsimmis separately from the turkey (which would be done with the initial ingredients, plus some schmaltz), with some schmaltz (or try duck fat if you can get it), then add in some of the juice from the turkey, it might work. I'd also cut the sugar in half since it doesn't have a job to do and could taste much sweeter. You can always add some back in on the final warm up.

What's at issue then is the beefiness of the brisket. Will the turkey version be worth it? I can't answer that. You might be able to experiment with some powdered dried mushrooms, and maybe even some powdered greens, or something to amp up the umami, but, again, if you were planning this for Friday, with no time to experiment, it might be chancy. It also depends on why you're not eating red meat. If it's because of the fat content, adding in enough schmaltz to get the kind of glaze you're used to is going to defeat your purpose. Making it without the fat won't give you anything like the flavor you're going for.

If you're trying to cut fat, why not just do something new? You might consider roasting the tsimmis with a little olive oil (just enough to coat), rather than stewing it. Or perhaps roasting first, then finishing in a sauce similar to what you'd have from your brisket. The roasting will give it a lot of flavor. Then make the turkey in any manner you're confident of that's delicious.

Plllog makes some good suggestions on the methodology. I'll just add that I sometimes make a turkey stew with turkey thighs substituted for beef, but everything else exactly the same, and it turns out wonderful. I remove the skin and fat from the thighs before cooking, but I find it easier to remove the meat from the bone just before serving and cut up the pieces into bite-size morsels. My stew uses pasta sauce or tomato sauce for the liquid, and I use onions, celery, carrots, potatoes, and sometimes sweet potatoes. When I make it, I'm not intending it to be a tzimmes, so I don't add the fruit or sweeteners (or wine), but I think I'd like it that way, too.

Sue

Make chicken marbella, very similar taste profile and is really good. I have made it with cut up chicken pieces and also with boneless skinless chicken thighs in the crockpot. Below is a link to the recipe with groovy pictures. You can leave out either capers or olives if you want, but I love it that way. Or sub sundried tomato bits for the capers, but soak them first! Her's a link to the recipe: Chicken Marbella Recipe, http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chicken_marbella/ If you don't want to use chicken, I think it would be fine with turkey. I used to get organic de-boned turkey thighs at my local farm market, and they were great, but you don't have to cook poultry anywhere near as long as you would a brisket.

You could google "turkey thighs" and "tzimmes" and find some recipes to use as a guide for adjustments. For example, this recipe calls for chicken thighs.

http://www.cooking.com/recipes-and-more/recipes/winter-squash-chicken-tzimmes-recipe-10108.aspx#axzz3VtgFz7Jc

I'm going to say that you can absolutely make this with turkey or chicken thighs.

At its most basic, this recipe is a braise. Exchange the protein, and it's still a braise.

The flavor profile will work with poultry, without a doubt.

What I would change is the cooking time, and the rest time. I would cook the turkey for 1 hour, not 1 1/2 hour before adding the fruit and vegetables. Cook, covered, the additional hour or until the vegetables are tender.

You really do not need to rest turkey as you do beef, so letting it sit for 30 min. after cooking is finished is not necessary.

While the dish is braising, keep the braising liquid 2/3 the way up the turkey. Do not submerge the turkey while braising.

bbstx, did you use fresh or canned apricots? Because the substitution would be dried Turkish apricots, which don't dissolve.

I substituted dried apricots. It wasn't the texture, it was the flavor. The prunes are much sweeter and a better contrast to the capers and olives, IMHO. Of course, I've always liked prunes. I remember being served prunes about once a week at summer camp. Most kids didn't eat theirs. I loved mine! That reminds me, I need to put prunes on the grocery list - or "dried plums," as they are now being marketed.

bbstx, I agree the prunes are wonderful.

Like anchovies-don't tell anyone they're in the dish, and they'll rave about it!

Oy! Just make sure that the people who are refusing it aren't allergic before you deceive them. A lot of people will say, "No, thank-you," when what they really mean is, "Get that poisonous swill away from me!" and never actually tell you that they're allergic.

I'm not fond of prunes either, but they're good in chicken marbella. :) Apricots are sour.

If someone is allergic to prunes (dried plums) there is a very good chance they would also have a problem with apricots (another stone fruit). I wouldn't eat prunes or drink prune juice -- they made me try them in the hospital once, but I would cook with them in something that simmers and has savory flavors so they are just part of the profile.

You might also look at pulled chicken recipes, knowing that turkey will take a bit longer to cook for size. Hope you have a good thermometer to test for doneness.

I understand your concern for my friend, plllog, but, in this case, I knew he was just being finicky and had no allergy. When I have dinner guests, I try to always ask about allergies or food aversions and prepare dishes that conform.

lascatx, I've never had prune juice. It just looks vile to me. But I love prunes!

I fear we may have hijacked this thread and I apologize to the OP. Please let us know what you if you decide to prepare the turkey thighs. If you do, I'll be curious to know the results.

Oh, dear! I didn't mean to imply you were really going to poison him! I was just responding to what Mimipadv said about "just don't tell anyone". An anchovy added to flavor a dish might not even give me a reaction, but the worst reaction I've had was to a non-fish dish cooked with fish stock, where all the bad is concentrated. No one told me about the fish. It was just short of life threatening. Though since you know, Bbstx, that it's finickiness, you might be able to hide the prunes. After all, garlic prunes, are vastly superior to garden variety prunes. :) I don't like either prunes or olives, and capers aren't high on my delish list, but I love chicken marbella. :)

Littleonefb, have you figured out what you're going to do?

There are many people who are sensitive to sulfites, which is one of the preservatives they soak dried fruits in so that they will retain their color when dried. Sulfites are also in wines. I was advised to avoid them due to getting migraines, they are a classic migraine trigger. This is also why some folks have to avoid salad bars, some use sulfites on their produce for the same reason. I have found the amount of sulfites present in the small amount of wine or dried fruits I consume doesn't trigger migraines for me, so I gave up avoiding them. Non-treated fruits just don't last long enough for me at the rate I use them.