Growing up in my I-lived-through-the-Japanese-occupation Grandma's house meant that the 1st rule I was taught is to Never Waste Food (or you'll be sent down to the 12th level of Hell, where you'll be pounded with the other food wasters.) OK, that's an exaggeration- we were Chinese Christians so I wasn't taught about Chinese myths and legends- but my Grandma did take food waste very seriously. So, whenever I make roast chicken, I scrape off the leftover meat to cook with, and use the bones to make stock. For years, being thrifty was deemed uncool - you'd be considered an "Aunty", which is NOT a compliment in Asian culture- but it seems like people are finally learning that it's important not to waste food. I even have a cookbook by a 3-star Michelin chef all about the topic! (It's Bread is Gold by Massimo Bottura- I can't say how good it is, to be honest, as I've not made anything from it. As the title indicates, bread is the primary ingredient in the recipes and Asian kitchens don't have THAT much bread. Nonetheless, I really like the idea behind the cookbook! I wonder what ingredient is the most commonly wasted in an Asian kitchen?) Anyway, back to the topic of today's posts- here are 11 Asian recipes to use leftover roast chicken or turkey- just in time to use up Thanksgiving or Christmas leftovers!
Note: sometimes when you ask for recipes to use up leftover chicken or turkey, what you get is actually a collection of recipes that have uncooked chicken or turkey as an ingredient, which I totally don't get, as the cooking times for uncooked chicken and turkey are totally different from cooked ones (where you may just need to cook it long enough to heat it up). I've checked all these recipes to make sure they actually do use leftover cooked meat or, at least, can be made with leftovers without affecting the taste of the dish.
I've only written 1 post that specifically uses leftover roast chicken, but I sometimes toss leftover proteins into noodle soups such as mee siam (I poach it in the soup for a few minutes to warm it up.)
If you try any of these 11 Asian-inspired recipes to use up leftover roast chicken or turkey, do let me know which is your fave! Alternatively, if you have a recipe to contribute, feel free to leave a comment or email me!
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