I can honestly say that the Thanksgiving turkey this year was so much better than I expected. It was our first time making turkey and let’s just say that I had very low expectations. I was so nervous that it was going to turn out dry, but it was actually AMAZING.
Eddie and I researched for days on how to smoke a whole turkey the right way, I can’t tell you how many youtube videos we watched. But guys, we did it and all of our family members loved it!
We brined the turkey twice, using a wet brine and a dry brine. We used a cajun blend seasoning for the dry brine, which added way more flavor to the turkey meat. Overall, the turkey was super flavorful and moist!
We had quite a bit of turkey leftover because it was a 15-pound turkey ha! We all ended up with a take-home bag of turkey. I know there are so many ways to use leftover turkey, I’ve seen people make Pho, turnovers, turkey soup, casseroles, etc. I decided to make jook/congee (rice porridge) because nothing is more comforting for the soul than a warm bowl of jook!
What is jook congee?
Jook is a type of rice porridge that’s popular in many parts of Asia. I’ve grown up eating a Korean-style jook, usually consists of leftover rice slow-cooked, then topped with a drizzle of sesame oil and soy sauce.
What you need for this leftover turkey jook (congee)
- leftover turkey
- diced carrots
- chicken stock
- uncooked rice
- diced onion
- minced ginger
- cooking oil
How to make leftover turkey jook (congee)
- Sautè carrots and onion. In a heavy-bottomed pot, sautè the diced onions on medium-high just until it becomes translucent. Add the diced carrots and minced ginger and sautè for 3 minutes.
- Toast the rice. Add the rinsed uncooked rice to the pot and sautè for 4-5 minutes.
- Cook the rice. Add the chicken stock to the pot and reduce heat to low. Let this simmer for 15-20 minutes. Make sure to stir occasionally, to prevent any rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Add the turkey. Chop half the amount of turkey and add it to the jook. Reserve some turkey for garnishing. Continue to simmer for another 5 minutes.
- The jook is done when the rice is fully cooked and the jook has thickened.
- Garnish. I like to add some sliced green onion, additional turkey, jammy eggs, sesame oil, and chili oil!
Leftover Turkey Jook (Congee)
Makes 2-3 servings
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups leftover turkey
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/4 cup carrots, diced
1 cup short-grain rice, uncooked and rinsed
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
2 tablespoons cooking oil of choice
DIRECTIONS
1. In a heavy-bottomed pot, add cooking oil and onion. Sautè on medium heat until the onion is translucent. Add the carrots and ginger, continue to sautè for about 3-5 minutes.
2. Add the rice to the pot and sautè the rice for about 5 minutes.
3. Pour the chicken stock into the pot and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and let this simmer for 15-20 minutes.
4. Chop 1/2 the amount of turkey and add it to the pot, stir to combine. Reserve 1/2 the turkey for garnishing later on.
5. The jook is done when the rice is fully cooked and is a thick consistency. Optional: top with some sliced green onion, extra turkey, jammy eggs, a drizzle of sesame oil, and/or chili oil!
