Thanksgiving Leftover Hawaiian Style - Turkey "Jook"

Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and a yum yum meal. I think it is a "tradition" to have leftover. As we would make sandwiches, turkey casserole on the mainland, those of us from the Islands have our special tradition with Turkey leftover, we make "Jook"!

"Jook" 粥 in Chinese or "Juk" in Korean both mean rice porridge, or sometimes referred as congee. Each family has their own special recipe of making Jook. It is simply boiled rice in a lot of water or stock to make a rice soup. 

As many would do after the big dinner, I took the roasted turkey carcass and boil it down to make a thick stock. There is not really a recipe. I just put break down the carcass, put in the vegetable leftover that I used to roast the turkey into a big pot. Cover with water and let it cook low for a few hours. Remove all the bones and vegetable, strain the stock and store in a few containers (2 cups each is my prefernce) and freeze it. I keep the base stock simple so that I can use the stock for both Asian as well as Western dishes.

This a very simple recipe. Another way to enjoy turkey leftover... especially on those cold winter night.. (It's 34 outside and rainning) 

Turkey Jook with Lettuce and roasted seaweed

1/3 cup rice, washed, raised and drained
2 cups turkey stock
2 cups water 
1 cup bite size leftover turkey meat
2 cup shredded romaine lettuce
1/4 cup chopped green onion
Sesame oil
Salt and better to taste
Optional: Korean roasted seasoned seaweed. You can also get the sheet version of roasted seaweed at Trader Joe (it's in the snack section by the popcorn), cut it into strips or tear in up in smaller pieces

Toasted sesame seeds
Directions
Place rice in a medium size pot

Add water and stock

Bring to a boil, lower heat to med low. Cover and let the porridge cook for about an hour. Check and stir every now and then to make sure the rice is sticking to the bottom.

The porridge is ready when the rice "flower", starts to disintergrate.

Add turkey meat, stir and let it cook for about 10 mins. Check seasoning, add salt and pepper to taste.

Place 1 cup of lettuce in each large soup bowl.

Laddle hot boiling soup into each bowl

Sprinkle with green onion

Top with a handful of roasted seaweed. (I love seaweed, if you are not sure, start with less). The porridge is wonderful without the topping.

Drizzle a little of sesame

And a sprinkle of toasted sesame seed

To eat: mix everything together... Now, this is comfort food to me...
Made 3 cups, 2 dinner serving.

Enjoy

Aloha