Turkey Shiitake Asian Fusion Risotto

By this time, you've carved up the leftover turkey and made some stock.  You might have even gotten sick of traditional comfort food, no matter how many group walks you take.  So use your leftovers in a completely different way.

Time for variety - we took the crew out for awesome Fusion Asian, Friday night after Thanksgiving, at Yama Zakura, just outside of Boston.  Besides their creative sushi [try the Lobster Bomb] they make a delicious Pad Thai with subtle sweet and sour notes, which I pull together in a risotto here.

Alessandro, my dear Italian friend, I hope I'm not going to hell for this!

1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
1 leek, cleaned and diced
1-1/2 cups short grain white rice
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2-inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 quart turkey stock (low salt)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp Nam Pla, Thai fish sauce
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup frozen peas
12 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 cup dried kizami nori, shredded roasted seaweed

Heat a slug of canola oil in a pot or small wok.  Toss in the carrot and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Add the leek and the rice and continue cooking, stirring often.  Add the garlic and ginger after about 5 minutes. Cook until the rice turns from translucent to white and the veggies begin to brown, about 8-10 minutes in total. Be careful not to let the rice burn.

Meanwhile, heat the stock to boiling.  Turn heat down to a low simmer.  Spoon a ladle of stock into a small bowl and add the dried mushrooms.  Stir them up to mix with the hot stock.  Set aside.

Add the wine and a ladle of stock to the rice and stir well.  Continue cooking, over a heat just high enough so the risotto gently bubbles.  Stir fairly often. Streak a wooden spoon across the rice, scraping the bottom of the pan.  When you can see the bottom of the pan, without rice and liquid re-filling the trough, you know you are ready for another ladle of stock.  Add another ladle of stock and continue cooking in the same way, until all the stock is used up.

While the rice cooks, check the mushrooms.  After about 10-15 minutes, they will be softened.  Pick them out of the stock and slice.  Return the stock to the pot with the remaining stock. 

Continue cooking the rice until you have only about 2 ladles of stock left.  Check the rice for doneness; it should begin to be al dente.  Add the soy sauce, fish sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil, along with the mushrooms, peas and chicken to the rice.  Add the last ladles of stock.  Cook through until risotto is creamy and just al dente.  If necessary heat another cup or two of water in the microwave and add to rice as needed, until just cooked.

At the last moment, stir in the seaweed and serve in bowls, topped with a bit more seaweed.

Serves 4.