Wild turkey breast, boneless

Poached Wild Turkey Sesame Noodle Salad

Wild turkey breast gently poached with ginger to 165°F, chilled, shredded and tossed cold with noodles, cucumber, carrot and a soy, lime and sesame dressing.

Serves: 4
Hands-on: 35 min
Total: 1 hr 50 min
Skill: Easy

Cooks on: Stovetop · Lunch, Dinner

Ingredients

1¼ lbWild turkey breast, boneless, one boneless breast half or part of one
3 tbspSoy sauce
2Lime, juiced (about ¼ cup)
1 tbspBrown sugar
1 cloveGarlic, finely grated
2Carrots, shredded
2 tspSalt, kosher, for the poaching water
5 cups water, for poaching
1 piece fresh ginger (about 2 inches): half sliced, half finely grated
8 oz dried spaghetti or lo mein noodles
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 cucumber, cut into thin matchsticks
4 scallions, thinly sliced
¼ cup chopped cilantro
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

You'll need

Stovetop
Dutch oven
Instant-read thermometer

Contains

Soy, Gluten, Sesame. Soy sauce is made from soybeans and usually wheat. Wheat noodles and most soy sauce contain gluten. Noodles and soy sauce vary; some noodles contain egg. Check the labels.

Method

Cut the turkey breast into 2 or 3 pieces of even thickness, about 1½ inches, so the thin end does not dry out while the thick end finishes.
Put the water, the sliced ginger and the salt in the Dutch oven and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the turkey; the water should cover it by about an inch.
Lower the heat until the water barely shivers, with no real bubbles, cover, and poach until an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F in the thickest piece, usually 12 to 20 minutes. Check the thinner pieces first and lift each one out as it gets there.
Whisk the soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, sesame oil, rice vinegar, garlic and grated ginger until the sugar dissolves.
Let the turkey cool 10 minutes, then shred it into thin strips with two forks while it is still warm; it pulls apart more easily and stays moist. Toss it with 2 tbsp of the dressing and refrigerate in a shallow container until cold, about 45 minutes.
While it chills, cook the noodles in a separate pot of boiling water according to the package, drain, rinse under cold water until cool, and drain well.
Toss the noodles, turkey, cucumber, carrot and most of the scallions with the rest of the dressing. Taste and add a squeeze of lime or a splash of soy sauce if it needs it. Top with the rest of the scallions, the cilantro and the sesame seeds and serve cold.

When it's done: 165°F

The federal chart lists poultry at 165°F, and Kansas State University Extension says to fully cook game birds to at least 165°F. Check the thickest part with an instant-read thermometer.

If it goes wrong

Poached turkey dry: The water boiled, or a thick piece was left whole. Cut even pieces, keep the water at a bare shiver, and pull each piece at 165°F.
Noodles clumped: Rinse them well under cold water and toss them with a few drops of the dressing right away.
Salad tastes flat after sitting: The noodles soak up dressing. Add a squeeze of lime and a splash of soy sauce before serving.

Leftovers. Serve right away, cold. Keep the salad refrigerated, never out more than 2 hours, and eat it within 3 days; it is meant to be eaten cold, not reheated.