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There must be 1000 ways to cook turkey. I’m sure of it because in Israel, it’s a meat that available all the time, and everybody likes it.
I like to buy breast meat because it’s economical. No bones, hardly any skin, no waste. Since it’s a dry meat with almost no fat, you have to find ways to protect it so that it doesn’t dry out in cooking. One way is to slice it thinly so it’ll cook fast. Another is to pop it into a cooking bag, or an improvised wrap made from tin foil. And other is to dip it in eggs and crumbs, which is just another way of wrapping it. (A tasty way.)
I thawed out half a turkey breast yesterday and realized it was too much meat for just Husband, the Little One, and me. It weighed about 1 kg. – 2 lbs. Half of it I sliced thinly for shnitzels, putting it away for today. The other half I cut up for stir-fry. It served the three of us generously, and there were still leftovers.
Stir-Fry of Turkey Breast
printable version here
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
500 grams/1 lb. turkey breast meat
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tablespoon of chopped fresh ginger root or 1 teaspoon powdered dried ginger
2 green onions, chopped
1 onion
2 slender carrots, peeled
1 large celery stalk, washed
1 green bell pepper, or any color
4 large mushrooms, any kind. I was out of fresh, so I hydrated 5 dried Shiitakes.
2 tablespoons soy sauce and more if wanted
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons vinegar, any kind
Oil to thinly cover the bottom of your frying pan or wok
1 teaspoon corn starch
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
1. Thinly slice the turkey meat in long horizontal slices.
2. Cut the slices vertically to make thin strips of meat.
3. Put the meat into a bowl. Add the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and scallions.
4. Cover the bowl and put it in the fridge for 1 hour.
Take the meat out. Give it 15 minutes to lose some of its chill before starting to chop the vegetables.
5. Slice the carrots thinly on the bias. Do the same with the celery stalks. Slice the bell pepper into strips.
6. Slice the mushrooms. Slice the onions into halves, then quarters. Slice the quarters thinly.
7. Heat the oil in the frying pan (or wok). Add the celery and turn the heat up to high. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes.
8. Push the celery to the sides of the pan and add the onions. Stir and cook for 3 minutes.
9. Push the vegetables aside again, and add the carrots and bell pepper; cook 3 minutes.
10. Add the mushrooms. Stir and cook 2 minutes.
11. Add the soy sauce; stir.
12. Sprinkle the sugar in; stir. Well, it’s not called a stir-fry for nothing…
13. Add the turkey. Stir and fry till you’re sure the meat is cooked through: about 6 minutes, depending on how thinly it was sliced.
14. Add salt and pepper. Stir and taste for seasoning.
Add more soy sauce if desired, or adjust the sweet-sour ratio, which should be mild, not at all strong. The flavor of the meat and vegetables should dominate, not that of sugar and vinegar.
15. Dissolve the cornstarch in a little water. Stir it into the pan, allowing the juices to thicken. Let everything cook 1 or 2 minutes more, then the stir-fry is ready.
Delicioso.
In spite of all the steps, this recipe really is easy and fast to make. Suggestion: start a pot of rice before you start your chopping and stirring: it will be ready just before the stir-fry is ready to serve.
Here are more turkey recipes you’ll enjoy:
