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Chiayi turkey rice
Hué-ke-bah-pn̄g (火雞肉飯): rice topped with shredded turkey, shallot oil and sweet soy, Chiayi style
TaiwaneseChiayi, in the south-central plains, is the town that put turkey on Taiwan's lunch tables: every few streets there is a shop selling small bowls of hot rice heaped with pulled turkey, drizzled with golden turkey-fat shallot oil and a sweet soy sauce, eaten with a yellow pickled radish and a bowl of clear soup. It is lunch, a late breakfast and a midnight bite. The meat should be moist and pull into soft strands, the rice glossy rather than wet. The usual error is boiling the turkey hard, which leaves it dry and stringy; poach it gently and let it cool in the liquid. Chef's tip: render the turkey skin and fat slowly to fry the shallots, so the oil tastes of the bird; use chicken fat or neutral oil if your turkey is lean.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the turkey
- 1 ⅓ lb skin-on turkey breastboneless; skin cut off and kept for the oil
- 6 ¼ cups water
- 3 slices fresh ginger
- 2 spring onionscut into lengths
For the shallot oil and sauce
- 3 tbsp chicken fat or neutral oilplus the turkey skin
- 6 shallotsthinly sliced
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
To serve
- 1 ¾ lb cooked short-grain ricehot
- 8 slices yellow pickled daikon (optional)
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What you'll need
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Bring 6 ¼ cups water to the boil with 3 slices fresh ginger and 2 spring onions. Lower in 1 ⅓ lb skin-on turkey breast, return to a simmer, then turn the heat right down so the surface barely moves.
5 minStep 2: Poach gently, covered, until the thickest part reads 165°F on a thermometer and the juices run clear.
18 minStep 3: Turn off the heat and leave the turkey in the liquid for 10 minutes so it stays juicy. Keep the broth.
10 minStep 4: Meanwhile, cut the turkey skin into small pieces and put it in a small pan with 3 tbsp chicken fat or neutral oil over a low heat. Cook until the skin has given up its fat and turned crisp, then lift the skin out.
10 minStep 5: Add 6 shallots to the hot fat and fry over a medium-low heat, stirring, until evenly light golden. Pull off the heat just before they look done; they keep darkening.
6 minStep 7: Lift the turkey out and pull it into thin shreds with your fingers or two forks.
Step 8: Fill bowls with 1 ¾ lb cooked short-grain rice, pile the turkey on top, spoon over the shallot oil and crisp shallots and then the soy sauce. Serve with 8 slices yellow pickled daikon and a cup of the hot broth.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbs
- 66 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chiayi turkey rice take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
- What can I use instead of spring onions?
- Chives, or a little finely sliced onion.
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