Crunchy Asian Wild Turkey Salad

Printer Friendly RecipeBY MICHAEL PENDLEY AUTHOR OF TIMBER 2 TABLE WILD GAME RECIPESMAY 17, 2017Friends and family scoff a bit when they hear me say I enjoy a salad from time to time. That said, when the fresh lettuce and Napa cabbage starts to roll in come spring, I like to take advantage. As long as it has enough meat on it, that is.

You can serve this salad as a side dish, but the wild turkey strips make it hearty enough to be a complete meal.

This crunchy salad mixes fresh Napa cabbage, crunchy carrot slivers, roasted bell pepper strips, and crispy fried wild turkey with a tasty Asian-style dressing that comes together in minutes. In fact, the entire salad can be made in under a half-hour and is more than hearty enough to be a complete meal in itself.

Add all produce to a large mixing bowl, then toss together before adding the dressing.

The easiest way to combine the dressing ingredients is to add everything to a jar, screw on the lid, and shake it up for about 30 seconds to emulsify. Just pour the dressing straight from the jar to the salad.

Ingredients

1 side of a wild turkey breast
cut into strips

1 cup Kentucky Colonel or other seasoned flour

Vegetable or peanut oil for frying

Salad

1 head Napa cabbage
cut into strips

1 bunch Chinese chives
diced

2 carrots
shredded

1 cup roasted bell pepper
cut into strips

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1 cup crunchy chow mein noodles

Dressing

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1 teaspoon oyster sauce

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon sriracha sauce

1 clove garlic
finely minced

1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger
minced

Cooking Instructions

Dredge the wild turkey strips in the seasoned flour. Heat a quarter inch of oil in a skillet at medium-high. Fry the turkey strips, in batches, for three to four minutes per side till just cooked through. Remove and drain on paper towels or a folded brown paper bag.

Slice the wild turkey breasts into bite sized strips.

Toss the breast strips in seasoned flour before frying.

Combine dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well to emulsify the dressing.

To assemble the salad, toss the cabbage, carrots, chives, and peppers together. Drizzle on the dressing and toss to coat everything well. Toast the almonds and sesame seeds in a dry pan until you just start to smell them cooking. Top the salad with wild turkey strips, almonds, sesame seeds, and chow mein noodles.

Fresh Napa cabbage is tender and delicious, treat it just like fresh lettuce.