Baby Bok Choy with Turkey

Simultaneously comforting and healthy. A great weekday recipe to put on repeat.

This dish may have a lot of steps and ingredients but it comes together really quickly. It’s mostly all prep work. Because of that I love it for a weeknight. And it makes for great leftovers so you can save yourself some cooking later. Double win.

I love any excuse to use my carbon steel wok. It’s huge. Perfect for wilting down all of the bok choy. And it builds up a seasoning just like cast iron. But the wok is much lighter. Serious Eats has a great article on how to season carbon steel pans. And Cook’s Illustrated has a great one on the science of stir-frying in a wok. This recipe will totally work in another pan, but the wok helps build flavor while you cook the meat and the wide, sloped sides help the steam from the bok choy escape as you cook, reducing the liquid.

Baby Bok Choy Stir Fry

Serves 4-6

½  pound ground turkey*

⅛ teaspoon ground clove*

¼ teaspoon baking soda*

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg*

⅛ teaspoon cayenne*

¼ teaspoon black pepper*

⅛ teaspoon msg*

¼ teaspoon kosher salt*

1 produce bag full of baby bok choy

2 cloves garlic; grated on a micoplane or chopped very fine

1 inch ginger; peeled if the skin is thick, grated on a microplane or chopped very fine

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon bacon fat

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 teaspoon chicken bouillon paste

1 tsp cornstarch mixed into ¼ cup water

Cooked brown rice, to serve

Large wok

Cooking spoon

Microplane

Knife

Cutting board

Salad spinner

Mix together all items with an asterisk: turkey, all spices and salt. Set aside.

Prep the bok choy. Thinly cut the bottom white portion into ¼ inch pieces, slightly thinner at the base. Set aside the greens as you cut all the whites. Put the cut whites into a salad spinner and fill with cold water. Using your hands to mix everything around in the water to loosen the dirt. Drain. Do this 1-2 more times until no dirt remains. Spin dry. Set aside.

The remaining bok choy greens should be about 1 to 2 inches long. Wash bok choy greens in the same manner as the whites. Set aside. 

Heat bacon fat in the wok over medium to medium low heat. Gently cook the garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes, 1-2 minutes. When they begin to sizzle (but before they brown), add the ground turkey mixture. Turn heat to medium. Continually mix and chop the turkey into little bits, scraping the bottom of the wok.

When the turkey is fully cooked, about 5 minutes later, add the white parts of the bok choy. Stir. Turn heat to medium high. Add a splash of water if things start to stick or burn. Keep stirring. Whites will soften and release liquid. Cook, stirring frequently, until the whites are the texture of a good pickle (soft but crisp and snappy), about 5 minutes. Add bullion, sesame oil and oyster sauce. Stir well to combine.

Move the meat and bok choy to the sides of the wok so that the liquid pools in the center. Stir the cornstarch mixture and add it to the wok, stirring only the liquidy center for 30 seconds before stirring into the whole mixture.

Turn heat to low and add the bok choy greens. Stir until beginning to show signs of wilting. Turn off the heat and stir a bit more until the greens are wilted.

Serve in bowls with rice.