Serious Eats' Turkey Paitan Ramen

What to do with ample leftovers? Turkey broth right?! When the temptation to grab the carcass just because it's offered leaves you with waaaay too much turkey broth you have to be inventive to think of ways to use it up.

After some research I found Serious Eats' recipe for Turkey Paitan Ramen which sounded delicious! Crispy turkey with more Brussels - why not!

Yay or Nay: Yay

I simplified the recipe a little by boiling the carcass with kombu, ginger, garlic, spring onion, onion and dried chinese mushrooms to take the western flavours out of the roasted turkey. I took a portion of the broth and added tahini, miso and soy for the ramen base. Then I roasted the brussel sprouts, boiled the egg and chopped some spring onions. Next, I shredded the turkey and cooked it until it was crispy. Assemble it all under a bed of ramen and then pour over the broth. Optional, I added some sesame oil and chili oil to finish!

This was tasty and you definitely couldn't taste the turkey flavour in the broth - which is what I was worried about. Everything came together nicely and it didn't feel like we were eating leftovers - I think this might become a tradition!

Chrissy Teigan's Sesame Chicken Noodles

I first heard of Chrissy Teigan when I randomly read a gossip mag and realised she was married to singer John Legend. I think I was more taken with the fact that she was half-Thai and that she had turned from swimsuit model to food blogger to daytime TV cook. Personally, I am not a 100% convinced on her credentials, but maybe her new cookbook would reveal all. 

I was eager to get my hands on her cookbook, Cravings, to see what she came up with, and I must say the recipes were too decadent for me. The only recipe that stuck out was her Sesame Chicken Noodles which I figured were pretty healthy and easy enough to make to put on the rotation, that is, if it is any good.

Yay or Nay: Nay

To be honest, it's not like I hadn't made a version of this recipe before, I think I was expecting something different from the ginger peanut sauces I have made in the past. The tahini does add a earthy depth but overall it is nothing special. I did use different noodles as I forgot to buy flat noodles so it does look different to the book pic but it doesn't really affect the taste. Sorry Chrissy, stick to the day job.