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Today I'm partnering with Think Rice to create a fun fusion Taiwanese turkey yogurt scallion rice bowl!
Over the past couple of years, I feel like there are more and more food documentaries. And I'm so happy because I absolutely love them. I get to learn about different cuisines and how a dish is created without having to leave my couch. While I was watching one show highlighting Taiwan's popular dishes, one, in particular, caught my eye. Turkey rice is a popular street food made from rice cooked in turkey broth, topped with poached turkey and crispy shallots. It sounds simple but also incredibly delicious. So, I decided to make my own fusion version, making the rice the real star of the bowl. Here is my Taiwanese turkey yogurt scallion rice, fused with Indian flavors and Taiwanese ones, made with U.S.-grown medium grain rice. It's different but still tasty!
Recipe
Taiwanese Turkey Yogurt Scallion Rice
Ingredients
Turkey
- 2-3 lb turkey breast skin on, bone-in
- 2-inch ginger knob peeled, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves smashed
- 4 scallions white ends only
- 2 star anise
- 1 teaspoon white peppercorns
- 8 cups water
Yogurt scallion rice
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 shallots minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 2 cups U.S.-grown medium grain rice
- ½ cup Shaoxing wine
- 2 ⅔ cups turkey stock
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt plain
- ¼ cup sliced scallions
- salt and pepper to taste
Sauce
- ⅓ cup reserved turkey fat
- 8 shallots thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- ½ cup turkey stock
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup rice wine
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
Instructions
- Combine turkey breast with sliced ginger, smashed garlic, scallion ends, star anise, white peppercorns, and water in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming any white foam. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour or until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of breast registers 150 degrees F. Remove turkey and let cool. Strain stock, discarding aromatics. Let cool, then chill in fridge overnight.
- The next day, remove stock from fridge. Skim fat from the top, reserving ⅓ cup. Shred turkey meat, discarding skin and bones, and set aside.
- Prepare the rice. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add minced garlic and shallots and saute for 1 minute or until aromatic. Add cumin, turmeric, and rice, stirring to combine. Add Shaoxing wine and bring to a boil. Continue to cook until all of the wine has evaporated. Add turkey stock and bring to boil. Cover pot and reduce heat to low. Continue to cook for 15 minutes or until rice is fluffy and all of the liquid has evaporated.
- Let rice sit for 10 minutes. Remove lid and fluff with a fork. Add yogurt and scallions and stir to combine. Season rice with salt and pepper and keep warm.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat ⅓ cup reserved turkey fat in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until golden brown, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove shallots with a slotted spoon onto paper-towel lined plates to drain excess oil. Let cool.
- Reheat shallot oil in the same pan over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and saute for 30 seconds or until aromatic. Add reserved stock, soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, and white pepper, stirring to combine. Simmer for 5-6 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat.
- Assemble the turkey rice bowls. Divide rice into bowls and top with shredded turkey. Spoon sauce on top and top with fried shallots. Serve immediately.
**Helpful tips and common mistakes
Turkey rice is, in my opinion, Asian comfort food. It's like the equivalent of chicken noodle soup, homey and very satisfying. The flavors in this dish are subtle, relying heavily on the turkey broth and crispy shallots. I love the original dish but decided to play around with the flavors to create rice with a little more pizzaz.
To make the Tawaianese turkey yogurt scallion rice, you first have to make the turkey broth. I used turkey breast in order to get enough meat for the final meal; however, you can use a mix of turkey breast, thighs, and legs.
Combine the turkey with the aromatics including garlic, scallion ends, ginger, star anise, and white peppercorns in a large pot. Cover the ingredients with water and bring the pot to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and continue to simmer on low until the thickest part of the turkey registers 150 degrees F.
Remove the turkey from the broth and let it cool. Strain the turkey stock, let it cool, and chill it overnight. When the turkey is cool enough to handle, shred the meat.
The next day, prepare the remaining components. Skim the fat from the top of the stock and set it aside.
Heat oil in a medium pot and saute the shallots and garlic until aromatic. Add the medium grain rice along with the spices and toss to coat the grains. Then, add the Shaoxing wine and simmer until it's nearly all evaporated. If you can't find Shaoxing wine, substitute with sherry. Next, add the turkey stock and bring the pot to a boil. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and continue to simmer until the rice is tender.
When I was trying to decide which type of rice to use, I discovered that there are When I was trying to decide which type of rice to use, I discovered that there are more than 120,000 different strains of rice! Ultimately, I decided to use USA-grown medium grain rice for several reasons. First, medium grain rice is a shorter and wider kernel which means the cooked grains will be moist and tender, perfect for turkey rice.
Second, I specifically wanted USA-grown rice because of the United States' rice industry's commitment to sustainability. The innovative equipment used in the rice mills not only helps produce high-quality rice but also is conservation-friendly. Excellent quality and sustainable? Yes, please!
Once the rice is done, let it sit for 10 minutes. Fluff the grains with a fork and stir in plain Greek yogurt and chopped scallions.
While the rice is cooking, prepare the shallots and sauce. Heat the reserved turkey fat and cook the thinly sliced shallots until golden brown. If you don't have enough turkey fat from the stock, substitute with oil.
Remove the shallots from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain the excess oil on paper towels. As the shallots cool, they'll become crispy. Then, use the same shallot oil to simmer the ingredients for the sauce. You can also prepare the shallots and sauce the day before.
Assemble the Taiwanese turkey yogurt scallion rice, topping the rice with shredded turkey and crispy shallots. Drizzle the sauce on top, a little goes a long way so you won't need that much, and dig in!
I loved how this Taiwanese turkey yogurt scallion rice still tasted familiar but with just a little twist. The yogurt scallion rice is creamy and warm from the spices, giving so much life to the recipe. This is a dish that I know I will be making regularly!
For more rice inspiration check out this spam egg and pineapple fried rice musubi!
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