RECIPE: Thai-one-on Turkey Satay

Let’s be real: have you ever gone to a Thai restaurant and found *anything* on the menu with turkey involved? No? Me neither. And yet turkey has become a go-to meat for folks here in the US who are trying to reduce their saturated fat intake, their waistline, and/or their carbon footprint. Turkey is everywhere. You can’t escape it. I guess you could try, but then you’d end up eating ham or duck or something else out of place on Thanksgiving. But here we are, on a regular ol’ Tuesday night, and we’re jonesing for Thai takeout. But the only fresh meat in the fridge is turkey breast. No chicken. No beef. No pork. No shrimp.

Oh, and another thing: “satay” refers to the meat being grilled on a skewer, not to the almost-omnipresent peanut sauce that often accompanies the dish. So no, there’s no peanut sauce recipe herein. I hope you can continue to thrive in spite of the disappointment I know you’re experiencing right about now.

OK, let’s do this.

TURKEY SATAY

Ingredients

• 1/2 onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 T. ground ginger
• 1/4 c. soy sauce
• 1 T.  sriracha (a hot chili sauce, also known as rooster sauce)
• 1 t.  honey
• the juice and zest of one large, fresh lime
• 1  lb. turkey breast, trimmed and cut into 1″x3″ strips
• wooden satay skewers, or metal if available

Directions

Soak wooden skewers in cold water for one hour, if using. (Skip this step if using metal.)

Mix all ingredients except the turkey and put in a non-reactive, covered container. Lay the turkey strips in the container, cover and shake gently to ensure coverage. Refrigerate for 2 hours or as long as overnight.

Set oven to broil. Cover broiler pan with foil. Remove turkey from the marinade and thread onto skewers, and place on broiler pan, not touching each other. Broil for 15 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking.

Serve with rice and tropical fruits. Green papaya is especially good with this recipe.