Uncle Wiggly's Stir-fried Turkey and Scallion

Dr. Biggles over at MeatHenge is having a contest : Uncle Wiggly's Goodtime Cooking Contest - Version Weekday, to be more precise. What this means is that Dr. Biggles is on a quest for easy meals he can serve his family on weeknights. A worthy cause, no?

Very often, our easy meals are pasta, often with a heavy meat sauce--the Boy's specialty. Or I'll make a frittata using up whatever left-overs are floating around the fridge. But it's too hot here for a heavy pasta and, well, with EoMEoTE coming up, I just wasn't in the mood to write about eggs.

I've been playing with Mom's wok since I came home and realized that stir-fries are always fast. The most time-consuming part of a stir-fry is cutting everything up! Even then, it won't take more than ten minutes of prep and the actual stir-frying is only about five minutes.

This can be a meal in itself, with a nice side of rice to preserve authenticity. If you're craving vegetables, make a quick salad on the side.

When creating this recipe, I used Grace Young's delicious book, The Breath of a Wok, for inspiration.

Stir-fried Turkey and Scallions

1 pound skinless, boneless Turkey thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes (Chicken works as well)
2 1/2 teaspoons Soy Sauce
1 teaspoon very dry Sherry
1/2 teaspoon Brown Sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 tablespoon Cornstarch
1 tablespoon cooked, canned Soy Beans (you can also use Black Beans)
2 cloves minced Garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons minced Ginger (or to taste; we used a lot of ginger)
1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
4 Scallion, cut into 1-inch chunks + 1 Scallion, chopped
1/3 cup good-quality Chicken Broth

In a medium bowl, combine Turkey, 1 1/2 teaspoons Soy Sauce, Sherry, 1/4 teaspoon Brown Sugar, Salt, Pepper and Cornstarch. Mix well, preferably with your hands. The Turkey will be slightly sticky. In a small bowl, mash the Soy Beans, then mix with the Garlic, Ginger and the rest of the Soy Sauce (1 teaspoon) and Brown Sugar (1/4 teaspoon).

Heat a flat-bottomed wok (or skillet) over high-heat until smoking. Swirl in Vegetable Oil and add Turkey mixture, spreading it evenly over the bottom of the wok. Let cook for 1 minute, allowing the Turkey to brown. Then stir-fry, lifting the Turkey with a spatula, for another minute. Add the Bean mixture, 4 Scallions and Broth and stir-fry for another minute until the Turkey is fully cooked and the sauce is thickened. Add the final chopped Scallion. Serve quickly over rice.