Hoisin turkey stir-fry

Inspired by my love of duck pancakes, dry, day-old turkey gets a second chance in this bold and sweet hoisin gravy, which takes just 15 minutes to whip up.

The next time you’re staring at a container of cold turkey, think stir-fry — not sandwiches. This rich and aromatic hoisin gravy is the fast, flavourful fix you never knew you needed to revive your leftover turkey.

The sauce itself only contains five ingredients and is so good you’ll want to make it over and over again, switching up the vegetables or protein to suit whatever leftovers are lurking in the back of your fridge.

For now, though, use the chunks of turkey that were signposted for tomorrow’s lunch and I promise you’ll fall in love with how much better it tastes second time round. It’s really amazing what a good sauce will do.

How To Make My Hoisin Turkey Stir-Fry

• Chef Catling’s recipe notes
• Recipe: Hoisin turkey stir-fry
• Serving suggestions
• Frequently asked questions

Tips & Notes To Know

• Make it your own: A stir-fry like this is the ultimate fridge-raider, so use whatever crunchy vegetables you have to hand.
• Create a wok clock: Stir-frying happens very quickly, so mise en place is crucial. The best tip I’ve ever received was from Chef Jeremy Pang, who recommends building a wok clock on a plate so you know which ingredients to add first. Once your ingredients are prepped, you simply arrange them around the plate, in the order in which you need to use them, starting at 12 o’clock.
• High heat is key: Stir-frying requires high heat to achieve that crispy exterior and tender interior for your ingredients. Preheat your wok or pan over a high heat before adding oil. The oil should shimmer but not smoke.
• Don’t overcook the turkey: It’s already cooked so you’re just heating it through. 

Hoisin turkey stir-fry

Serves: 2 Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 10 mins 10 mins

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Ingredients

1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 banana shallot, finely diced
1 red pepper, deseeded and finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1/2 red chilli, finely sliced
1/2 green chilli, finely sliced
1 tsp fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
250g leftover turkey breast, cut into strips
1/2 x 220g can bamboo shoots, drained
2 large handfuls of baby spinach

For the sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tbsp dark soy sauce (reduced salt)
1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
200ml turkey stock or leftover turkey gravy

Instructions

Step 1
In a bowl, mix together the oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, dark soy sauce, Chinese five-spice and turkey stock and set aside.

Step 2
Heat the wok over a high heat, then add the oil. Swirl around the edges and when it starts to smoke, throw in the shallot and pepper and stir-fry over a medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes.

Step 3
Toss in the garlic, chillis and ginger and cook for 1 minute more. 

Step 4
Turn the heat down to medium and add the cooked turkey and bamboo shoots. 

Step 5
Pour in the sauce and leave it to bubble away for 5 minutes or until thick and glossy. Toss in the spinach and cook until the leaves have wilted and the turkey is piping hot. Divide between bowls and serve immediately.

Serving Suggestions

• On a bed of coconut, basmati, sticky or jasmine rice.
• Tossed through egg or rice noodles.
• With a side of prawn crackers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Use Leftover Roast Chicken Instead Of Turkey?

Absolutely. You can use any meat from yesterday’s Sunday lunch, be it pork, beef or even duck. This recipe is a flexible, fridge-friendly way to use up whatever cooked meat you have to hand.