FOOD Flight Centre’s Exclusive Airfares include: $100 * credit per person with GOGO Worldwide Vacations to spend on land including hotels, tours, car rentals and more! Price drop protection* Plaza Premium Lounge pass* Flights on world-class carrier, Cathay Pacific 24/7 1 866 503 1294 *For full terms & conditions please speak with a Flight Centre Travel Consultant or visit flightcentre.ca/flights/red-label-fares. BC REG: #HO2790 Taryn Wa of Savoury Chef Foods makes congee with stock from the leftover bird, plus chili garlic oil. Michelle da Silva photo. Turkey congee is a tradition here’s one dish at Thanks- roasted with bacon, butternut squash TURKEY CRACKLING giving dinner that Taryn soup, and of course cans of cranberry Wa especially looks forward sauce. The next day, she’ll use left- ¼ cup (60 mL) cooked turkey skin, T to each year. It isn’t the tur- overs to make turkey congee, or Chi- roughly chopped key, and it’s not what you might ex- nese rice porridge. The recipe below pect from a professional chef with is based on a dish that Wa’s mother 1. Preheat oven to 350 ° F (180 ° C). nearly a decade of used to make with 2. Place turkey skin on a baking experience. Cooking turkey leftovers. sheet and bake for 5 to 10 minutes, “My cousins “This is a more or until crisp. and I have a thing Michelle da Silva jazzed-up ver- 3. Season with salt and pepper for—and this is sion. Hers was to taste. terrible—the cranberry jelly that very, very simple. It would just be comes in a can,” Wa told the Georgia rice and turkey stock, and then SHOYU TAMAGO Straight during an interview at Sav- she would maybe put a little bit of (JAPANESE-STYLE SOY oury Chef Foods, where she is exec- greens in it.” SAUCE EGG) utive chef and co-owner. “When you Wa’s turkey congee includes a soy- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) soy sauce or dump out the sauce, it stays in the and mirin-marinated egg for added gluten-free tamari shape of the can. The three of us, we protein, crispy turkey skin for texture, 1 Tbsp (15 mL) mirin eat a whole can [between us], and and homemade chili garlic oil, which 1 tsp (5 mL) sake everybody else shares one.” she said can be stored in the fridge and 2 tsp (10 mL) sugar When she was growing up in used as a substitute for hot sauce. To 3 medium-boiled eggs, Vancouver, Wa’s mother and grand- pair with the rice dish, Wa suggests a in shell mother cooked the meal for about a cup of jasmine tea or a light beer. dozen people. 1. In a small pot over medium heat, “All the other food, like the turkey TARYN WA’S TURKEY CONGEE bring the soy sauce, mirin, sake, and and vegetables, was homemade, but sugar to a boil. Remove from heat then it was always the box stuffing INGREDIENTS and cool. and cranberry sauce. We’d also al- 2. Peel eggs and place in a non- ways have Chinese food,” Wa added. 8 cups (2 L) turkey stock, reactive container. Pour soy-sauce “My parents are from South Africa made from the bones/carcass mixture over eggs. Cover with lid but my background is Chinese, so of a cooked turkey and marinate in the refrigerator for I grew up eating a huge variety of ⅔ cup (180 mL) jasmine rice at least 2 hours, preferably over- food. I’ve always loved to cook.” 2 tsp (10 mL) salt night, periodically shaking con- In South Africa, both of Wa’s 4 pieces baby bok choy, sliced tainer to coat eggs evenly. grandmothers owned restaurants. 1 cup (250 mL) shredded cooked Even though Wa was interested in turkey meat CHILI GARLIC OIL cooking from a young age, she went 1 green onion, thinly sliced to SFU for two years and worked as a Turkey crackling (see recipe ⅓ cup (90 mL) vegetable oil B.C. Lions cheerleader prior to enrol- below) 1 head of garlic, peeled ling at Northwest Culinary Academy. Shoyu tamago (see recipe below) and minced After graduation, she worked at Chili garlic oil (see recipe below) 1 Tbsp (15 mL) dried chili flakes Kitsilano’s Bistro Pastis before set- ting off on her own as a personal chef METHOD 1. Heat the oil in a small pot over and caterer. In 2006, Wa and her medium heat. partner, Kyle Nordman, launched 1. In a large pot over medium heat, 2. Add garlic and cook for about Savoury Chef Foods, a full-service bring the stock to a rolling boil. 2 minutes, or until garlic is fra- catering company. 2. Stir in rice and salt. Reduce heat grant but not yet brown. Add chili “We do a lot of weddings, and over to low, and cook rice for about 1.5 flakes and continue cooking until the holidays, we do a lot of private hours, until it’s mushy and soup is garlic is slightly brown and chili and corporate parties,” Wa said of her the consistency of porridge. Stir oc- flakes are toasted. Strathcona-based company, which casionally to prevent rice from stick- 3. Cool and store in a refriger- OCTOBER 16 - 30, 2014 now has about 30 full-time employees ing to the bottom of the pot. ated airtight container for up to 1 yaletowninfo.com and over 100 part-time service staff. 3. Add bok choy and simmer for week. #TOY2014 “No two events are the same.…You 3 minutes until cooked. Add tur- need to be as organized as possible but key meat and simmer until heated Yield: 6 servings. Recipe has not be ready to roll with the punches.” through. been tested by the Georgia Straight. - SPONSORED BY: This year, Wa won’t be working on 4. Divide congee between six bowls. Thanksgiving but will cook for her Garnish with green onion slices, tur- For step-by-step photos of family instead. She’s planning a feast key crackling, shoyu tamago cut in this recipe and a video, see that includes turkey, Brussels sprouts half, and chili garlic oil. www.straight.com/dining. After 14 months of waiting... 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