Turkey dinner was on this past weekend’s Sunday football menu, but since I already had a freezer full of turkey pot pie and soup, I was looking for something different for turkey leftovers.

I thought of turkey enchiladas, turkey manicotti, or turkey tetrazzini, but decided to roam the web for something with Asian flavors and this Serious Eats recipe turned out to be a winner. This time I had cooked the bird breast-side down, so it was especially moist and perfect for shredding.

Sichuan peppercorns can be found in Asian markets, though I order mine through Penzey’s. — Sichuan peppercorns (look for packages that are mainly husks as the dark black seeds are hard and gritty)

The recipe is based on a popular street food dish in Taiwan and features tender chunks of turkey moistened with a sauce of turkey jus and soy that is fragrant with Sichuan peppercorns and enriched with rendered turkey fat. You’ll want to set aside some turkey drippings just to make this (and next time I’ll also save some crispy skin as a garnish).

Taiwanese Turkey Rice

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:
2 cups of shredded turkey meat
3-4 tablespoons of turkey fat from drippings
1/2 cup of turkey juices from drippings
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
Salt and ground white pepper
1 tablespoon of whole Sichuan peppercorns
Fried shallots and cilantro, for garnish

Directions:
Combine turkey fat and and juices in a medium pot. Add water, sugar, soy sauce, Sichuan peppercorns, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and white pepper. Bring mixture to a simmer, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Simmer uncovered until sauce is reduced by half and strain into a bowl. (I also like to add a splash of Chinese black vinegar).
To serve, top rice with shredded turkey meat, and spoon a generous amount of sauce over both. Garnish with fried shallots and cilantro (I didn’t have cilantro, so garnished with homegrown I’itoi’s onions in the opening photo).

Link to current recipe, which has changed a bit since I first started making this dish: https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/11/taiwan-eats-turkey-rice-with-or-without-leftovers-recipe.html