Turkey Stuffed Fried Shiso Leaves

Our garden is overflowing with shiso. Also known as perilla, this asian herb features prominently in our summer cooking. It does well in our region, growing a lot faster than we can get through it. It’s in the mint family, with large, heart-shaped leaves and an attractive habit. The flavor is fresh and green, and lands somewhere between mint and basil, giving it a wide range of culinary applications. We started growing it mostly so we could add it to our pho, but because it grows so well, we’re always on the lookout for more ways to use up a whole bunch of it. 

In addition to using it as a garnish for pho and other dishes, we like to use it as a wrap for fish because shiso has a somewhat denser, tougher leaf, so it doesn't tear as easily as other herbs. But this recipe might be our new favorite use for the herb. Once fried, the texture and flavor softens a bit, making it the perfect vehicle for just about anything that pairs well with summer-y herbal flavors.

For this recipe we used turkey thighs, but we have also made these with venison or mushrooms. You really can't go wrong with what you put in these fried wraps. Making the meat mixture for this recipe is straightforward- just grind and mix. These wraps are light yet satisfying (and deeply savory), and they make for a perfect lunch or appetizer. 

We don’t generally keep ground meat in the freezer- we prefer to grind as needed. If you’re starting with a whole cut of meat, go ahead and feed the rest of the filling ingredients into the grinder with your cubed meat instead of mincing them small with a knife and mixing them in later. It saves a step, and they incorporate much better. This technique works great with any filling recipe, like wontons or lumpia.

The eggs need to be strained before you use them to coat the leaves to remove the “solids.” This makes dunking the delicate wraps much easier.

Shiso is prolific, and is a known problem for people who raise cattle or have horses, as it is poisonous to ruminants. Knowing this, we make sure we don’t let our plants go to seed and cut back the blossoms as they develop even though we don’t live anywhere near a pasture. If you want to forage your own shiso, you probably won't have any issues getting a farmer to let you take care of their problem. Shiso is easy to identify and has a very distinct smell and taste. We find it all over central Virginia, growing along the sunny edges of fields in large stands.

Turkey Stuffed Fried Shiso Leaves

Prep time: 25 minutes

Cook time: 5 minutes

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients:

Filling:

½ pound of ground turkey meat

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 scallions, sliced

¼ cup shallot, diced

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

½ tsp sugar

½ tsp black pepper

Breading:

3 eggs

~½ cup flour

~24 shiso leaves

Dipping sauce:

¼ cup soy sauce

2 tbsp white vinegar

1/2 tbsp red pepper flake

1 scallion, sliced

2 tsp sesame seeds

Method

Begin by making your dipping sauce- mix ingredients in a bowl and set aside. At this time, make sure your shiso leaves are lightly damp but not soaking wet, so the flour will adhere to them.

Next, combine all the filling ingredients in a large bowl, mixing well. 

Pour flour in a shallow dish or plate. 

Beat eggs well and pour them through a fine mesh strainer. Reserve the thin egg wash that results, discard the egg that remains in the strainer.

Dredge shiso leaves through the flour on both sides and shake off excess. Place about one tablespoon of the meat mixture on one side of the leaf and fold it over onto itself like a little taco. Press lightly to flatten it out and evenly distribute the meat. You want the folded leaf to be about ¼ inch thick (if you make them too thick, they won't cook through before the outside burns). Set the folded leaf aside on a dry cutting board or sheet pan. Repeat the process until all the leaves are stuffed.

Preheat ¼ inch of frying oil to medium high.

When the oil is hot, right before frying, dip the stuffed leaves into the strained egg mixture, coating evenly. Shake off excess and fry in oil. Cook for about one minute per side. Work in small batches and allow to drain on a wire rack.

Serve immediately with the dipping sauce.