easy yuzu ramen with roasted turkey and shishito peppers
An easy yuzu shio ramenrecipe topped with blistered shishito peppers, stir-fried bean sprouts, colorful pickled swiss chard stems, and roasted turkey with crackling skin. With a simple and light chicken shio ramen broth, this recipe will satisfy your last-minute ramen craving and just might be the perfect day after thanksgiving dish (I'm thinking Asian Thanksgiving noodles). With leftover turkey, this recipe can be ready in just 30 minutes.
roasted turkey breast if you don’t have leftovers (skin this step if you have leftover turkey)
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Place the turkey breast or thigh, skin side up on a rack in a small sheet tray (quarter size) or roasting pan. Rub 2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil all over the turkey and season with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and a light sprinkle of ground white pepper.
Roast the turkey breast or thigh for 40 to 60 minutes depending on the size (closer to 60 minutes if you're cooking a bone-in thigh), until the skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer reads 150-155°F when inserted into the thickest area of the breast. I will usually test 2 to 3 different spots. Check on the turkey occasionally. If you notice the turkey skin is turning too dark before it's done cooking, you can cover it with foil and continue roasting.
Allow the roasted turkey to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes before slicing. The internal temperature should reach 165°F after sitting (that's the minimum temperature cooked poultry should be) since it continues to cook when you first take it out of the oven.
quick-pickled swiss chard stems
Destem 2 stalks of swiss chard by cutting along the edge of the stems to separate the leaves.
Cut the stems on a bias (angle) into ½ inch slices and pack them into a 2-3 cup heat-safe container.
In a small saucepan, combine all the remaining pickling ingredients, stir, and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat. Then, carefully pour the hot pickling liquid over the sliced chard stems until they're all submerged. Let the pickled chard stems cool at room temperature while you make the ramen.
shortcut yuzu chicken shio ramen broth
For the scallions, cut just above the roots and discard the root pieces. Cut the white parts into 2-inch long pieces and set aside, then thinly slice the green portion on a bias (angle).
Heat a 1.5 quart saucepan on medium-low heat. Add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and 1 clove garlic. Add the scallion bottoms (white parts) to the pan and season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and a light sprinkle of ground white pepper (about ⅛ teaspoon). Simmer on low heat until the garlic and scallions are fragrant, about 1 minute.
Deglaze the pan by adding 2 tablespoons of cooking sake, then add 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce. Add 1 quart of unsalted chicken stock, stir, and bring the liquid to a boil on high heat. As soon as it boils, turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes.
Carefully taste (it's hot!), then season with more salt if needed. Add the juice from one yuzu segment right before turning off the heat.
cook ramen vegetable toppings
shishito peppers - Heat a medium saute pan (9-inch) over medium-high heat. Add ½ teaspoon canola oil and then the shishito peppers. Once the shishito peppers are blistered or charred on each side, season with a pinch of salt and squeeze a segment (⅓) of the fresh yuzu over the peppers. Then, immediately turn off the heat, remove the peppers, and set aside for later.
stir-fry bean sprouts - In the same pan, add another ½ teaspoon of canola oil and turn the heat back on to medium-high. Add the bean sprouts once the pan is slightly smoking. Stir fry the bean sprouts just until they start to soften (about 2 minutes), add a pinch of salt, and deglaze by adding 1 tablespoon cooking sake while stirring the bean sprouts. You don't want to cook them for too long since you want them to stay crunchy.
ramen plating
Divide your cooked ramen noodles into 2 medium-sized serving bowls. Ladle about 2 cups of hot ramen broth into each bowl and layer the cooked turkey, bean sprouts, shishito peppers, and a couple of slices of pickled chard stems onto the noodles. Top with green scallions, yuzu zest, and finish with a gentle squeeze of yuzu juice.
notes
IF YOU HAVE LEFTOVER TURKEY:Skip the roast turkey section and just reheat your leftovers in a toaster oven right before assembling the ramen. If you have leftover turkey breasts, you should allow it to rest for 10 to 15 minutes at room temperature after reheating before slicing. You can also shred reheated turkey leg or thigh meat as a ramen topping.FLAVOR VARIATIONS:I use just a splash of low sodium soy sauce to this shio ramen broth as an umami flavor boost. Usually, konbu (dried kelp) and bonito flakes or already made dashi can be used for shio ramen broths.You can definitely add those to this broth if you like. If you do, make sure to use less salt to start and add more to taste since both the konbu and bonito flakes will add some saltiness.Looking for a spicy version? Add a tiny bit of yuzu kosho [affiliate link] to each ramen bowl. It's so good! INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS:
Instead of bean sprouts, you can stir fry roughly chopped cabbage or bite-sized broccoli pieces
If you can't find fresh yuzu, use bottled yuzu juice [affiliate link] or a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Only use ½ teaspoon of lime juice to start for the entire batch of broth. You can add more to taste based on your preference.
For this recipe, swiss chard alternatives that would work include thinly sliced radish or cucumber since we only pickle the stems
I wouldn't substitute shishito peppers with any other types of chili peppers, especially not bell peppers since they taste completely different. Instead, use another vegetable listed below.
OTHER VEGETABLES FOR TOPPINGS:
Steamed corn kernels (you can use cooked frozen corn)
Radish sprouts
Sauté roughly swiss chard leaves instead of saving them for another recipe
Charred or sautéed kale leaves
Lightly boiled spinach (look for sturdier spinach instead of baby spinach)
Sautéed thinly sliced mushrooms (shiitake, king trumpet, or oyster mushrooms)
Chinese broccoli or yu choy that's blanched (lightly boiled)
Stir-fried sugar snap peas or snow peas
Crispy roasted brussels sprouts
tried this recipe?Tag me @thesoundofcooking! I'd love to see what you made.