Chefs' Recipes

Kylie Kwong's red-braised free-range turkey breast with Chinese coleslaw

Australian Gourmet Traveller Christmas recipe for Kylie Kwong's red-braised free-range turkey breast with Chinese coleslaw.

By Kylie Kwong
  • 30 mins preparation
  • 2 hrs 30 mins cooking plus cooling, standing, pickling
  • Serves 6
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Kylie Kwong: Red-braised free-range turkey breast with Chinese coleslaw
"I chose to cook the turkey with this gentle poaching method because more often than not I've experienced a dry, bland bird as a result of inadequate preparation and over-cooking. The red braising stock is a Cantonese classic and its richness stands up to the robust nature and character of the turkey. The coleslaw is a nod toward the Australian part of my background," says Kwong. You can prepare the red braising stock in advance and bring it to the boil before using it.

Ingredients

  • 1.4 kg free-range turkey breast, skin on
  • 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
  • 30 gm sea salt flakes (¼ cup)
Red braising stock
  • 625 ml Shaoxing wine (2½ cups)
  • 375 ml tamari (see note) (1½ cups)
  • 220 gm brown sugar (1 cup)
  • 90 gm ginger, thinly sliced
  • 6 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 4 spring onions, trimmed and halved lengthways
  • 5 star anise
  • 3 pieces orange rind, removed with a peeler
  • 2 cinnamon quills
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
Chinese coleslaw
  • 1 carrot, sliced into ribbons on a mandolin
  • 1 Spanish onion, thinly sliced
  • 125 ml organic brown rice vinegar (see note) (½ cup)
  • 55 gm brown sugar (¼ cup)
  • 1 cup each coriander, dill and mint (loosely packed)
  • 2 Chinese cabbage leaves, shredded
  • 1 small Lebanese cucumber, thinly sliced on a mandolin
  • 3 spring onions, julienned

Method

Main
  • 1
    For red braising stock, bring ingredients to the boil in a large saucepan over medium heat, reduce heat to low and simmer to infuse (40 minutes-1 hour).
  • 2
    Add turkey to stock, simmer for 6 minutes, remove from heat and stand in liquid until cooked through and cooled (1½ hours).
  • 3
    Meanwhile, dry-roast Sichuan pepper until fragrant (30 seconds-1 minute), then finely grind in a mortar and pestle. Stir through sea salt flakes, set aside.
  • 4
    For Chinese coleslaw, combine carrot, onion and 2 tsp sea salt flakes in a non-reactive bowl, toss to combine, set aside to soften (30 minutes). Combine vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stir to dissolve sugar, then reduce heat to low and simmer until slightly reduced and syrupy (12-15 minutes). Set aside to cool. Gently squeeze excess moisture from carrot and onion, add to vinegar mixture and set aside to lightly pickle (8-10 minutes). Just before serving, add remaining ingredients and toss to combine.
  • 5
    Reduce 500ml red braising stock by two-thirds in a saucepan over medium heat(20-25 minutes). Remove turkey breast from remaining stock (strained stock will keep frozen for 3 months; it can be used as a master stock or for a broth), thickly slice and serve drizzled with reduced braising stock, scattered with Sichuan pepper mixture and Chinese coleslaw.

Notes

Note Tamari and organic brown rice vinegar are available from select supermarkets and health-food shops. This recipe is from the December 2010 issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller.
Drink Suggestion: Spicy red biodynamic grenache blend. Drink suggestion by Max Allen