Soup Name: Turkey Chinese Congee

Traditional Chinese Name: 火雞粥 (huǒ jī zhōu)

Introduction: What to do with a 19 pound turkey for a family of 6? Well, after carving it, you have more meat leftover than carcass and I’ve taken half of the carcass for congee and the other half for soup. Don’t forget to keep the skin as it’s roasted and delicious. The base is just turkey and congee rice, but I also decided to add roasted peanuts as part of the base. You can also add dried scallops, dried tofu skin, dried octopus as well. The garnishes are also very vast…. today I went with both century preserved duck eggs and preserved salted duck eggs, as well as preserved vegetables and green onions as there was no salt added to the congee.

What Ingredients are required?

1 half of a turkey carcass (bones)2 cups of turkey meat
2 cups of round congee rice
3/4 of a large pot of water
fresh peeled peanuts
salt to taste

How do I prepare it?

1. Boil your water first
2. In a shallow pan, add a teaspoon of oil and pan fry the peanuts on medium heat until they are a golden brown (this makes the congee more fragrant)
3. When you water boils, add in the congee rice and boil on high heat for 10 minutes, stirring the bottom ensuring it doesn’t stick
4. Add in the leftover turkey and peanuts and boil on high for another 5 minutes before reducing heat to low and cover (you can use a chopstick to prop it open so it doesn’t boil over) for one hour, stirring occasionally to ensure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot
5. Serve, top with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Any benefits?

• This soup is naturally flavored (slightly salty from the turkey meat and bones)
• Really,  no additives needed (salt or sugar)
• Great as a meal, for kids and the whole family
• This is a great congee base for adding other ingredients
• You can save this in the freezer for up to one month or in the fridge for consumption for up to 3 three (but reboil it before eating)

Any precautions?

• Be cautious of tiny bones if serving to children (although it’s unlikely if you have kept the turkey carcass together)
• There are peanuts in this congee, so take care if you or someone is allergic to nuts