Home Food (turkey with fermented tofu)

“Home food”.

It’s comfort food specific to our home. Rachel and I use this phrase liberally. Home food could be steamed fish with edamame and sesame, or roasted backstrap and crispy potatoes, or any number of our go-to dishes, but in this case, it’s turkey with fermented tofu and greens. This variation of “home food” might be the original.

I enjoyed greens sauteed with fermented tofu as a kid, and when I introduced Rachel to it, she loved it. Fermented tofu (aka fermented bean curd: great primer on the ingredient here) is an umami bomb. It’s salty, funky, and spicy. There are mild varieties, but we prefer the spicy version, and honestly, one particular brand. This simple ingredient is the base for a fast, simple, and deeply savory dish. We love the stuff, and want to attempt making our own, but we have too many projects pending- one day we’ll take a swing at it. 

All you need to make this dish is a protein, greens, an onion, and rice. We usually use tofu, a firm fish such as snakehead or cobia, or poultry- in this case, wild turkey breast from a bird Rachel shot earlier in the week. The beauty of this dish is the simplicity. Brown the meat, add some onions, the fermented tofu, and some water, then wilt the greens. Total cook time from start to finish is less than 15 minutes. 

I don’t know how many times I’ve started the rice, hopped in the shower, and cranked out a version of this dish just in time for the two of us to hose it down and crash out for the night. It’s the perfect meal after being on the road for longer than anticipated, or after a long day in the field chasing birds around. It tastes like turkey, greens and rice, but with a level of complexity added that is hard to articulate. It’s fast, satisfying, and feels like home.

Home Food (Turkey with Fermented Tofu)

Servings: around 2

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1-2 pounds of turkey breast, skinned, cut into ¾” cubes

1 medium onion

1 large bunch of asian greens (yu choy or chinese mustard are our go-tos)

~½ a jar (~4ozs) of fermented bean curd paste (our preferred brand HWANG RYH SHIANG)

Method:

Lightly season the turkey meat. The fermented tofu has a lot of salt, so go light on the seasoning, you can always add more.

Heat a deep sided saute pan over medium high heat. Add a splash of oil and lightly brown the turkey. Cook for about 2 minutes, stir, and cook for another 2 minutes. Add in onions and fermented tofu and about half cup of water. Stir and cover with a lid. Cook covered for 3-5 minutes, or until onions are soft. 

Add greens and cover, cook for 2-3 minutes, then uncover and stir. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more water if needed. Serve over rice.

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