Turkey Meatballs with Soy and Sesame
By Andrew JanjigianPublished on July 26, 2016
Time
1¼ hours
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
1 ½ cups chicken broth ½ ounce dried shiitake mushrooms 2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup)6 scallions, white parts minced, green parts sliced thin on bias1 tablespoon sugar 2 ½ teaspoons unflavored gelatin Salt 1 ½ teaspoons white pepper 2 anchovy fillets, rinsed and patted dry1 ½ pounds 85 or 93 percent lean ground turkey 1 large egg, lightly beaten2 tablespoons water 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 garlic cloves, minced1 tablespoon soy sauce 2 teaspoons sesame oil
Instructions
- Microwave broth and mushrooms in covered bowl until steaming, about 1 minute. Let sit until softened, about 5 minutes. Drain mushrooms in fine-mesh strainer and reserve liquid.
- Pulse bread in food processor until finely ground, 10 to 15 pulses; transfer bread crumbs to large bowl (do not wash processor bowl). Add Parmesan, scallion whites, half of scallion greens, sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons gelatin, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon white pepper to bowl with bread crumbs and mix until thoroughly combined. Pulse mushrooms and anchovies in food processor until chopped fine, 10 to 15 pulses. Add mushroom mixture, turkey, and egg to bowl with bread-crumb mixture and mix with your hands until thoroughly combined. Divide mixture into 16 portions (about 1/4 cup each). Using your hands, roll each portion into ball; transfer meatballs to plate and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- Sprinkle remaining 1 teaspoon gelatin over water in bowl and let stand until gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Heat vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add meatballs and cook until well browned all over, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer meatballs to paper towel–lined plate, leaving fat in skillet.
- Add garlic to skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Increase heat to high, stir in soy sauce, sesame oil, reserved mushroom liquid, gelatin mixture, and remaining ½ teaspoon white pepper and bring to simmer. Return meatballs to skillet, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until meatballs register 160 degrees, 12 to 15 minutes, turning meatballs once. Transfer meatballs to platter. Season sauce with salt to taste, pour over meatballs, garnish with remaining scallion greens, and serve.
Time
1¼ hoursYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
1 ½ cups chicken broth
½ ounce dried shiitake mushrooms
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup)
6 scallions, white parts minced, green parts sliced thin on bias
1 tablespoon sugar
2 ½ teaspoons unflavored gelatin
Salt
1 ½ teaspoons white pepper
2 anchovy fillets, rinsed and patted dry
1 ½ pounds 85 or 93 percent lean ground turkey
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
1 ½ cups chicken broth
½ ounce dried shiitake mushrooms
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup)
6 scallions, white parts minced, green parts sliced thin on bias
1 tablespoon sugar
2 ½ teaspoons unflavored gelatin
Salt
1 ½ teaspoons white pepper
2 anchovy fillets, rinsed and patted dry
1 ½ pounds 85 or 93 percent lean ground turkey
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
1 ½ cups chicken broth
½ ounce dried shiitake mushrooms
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup)
6 scallions, white parts minced, green parts sliced thin on bias
1 tablespoon sugar
2 ½ teaspoons unflavored gelatin
Salt
1 ½ teaspoons white pepper
2 anchovy fillets, rinsed and patted dry
1 ½ pounds 85 or 93 percent lean ground turkey
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Our turkey meatballs rival those made from beef or pork, thanks to a few test kitchen tricks. We start with 93 or 85 percent lean turkey; the 99 percent lean type didn’t have enough fat to create a palatable meatball. Next, we add an egg and fresh bread crumbs (instead of a panade, which made the meatballs too wet) to help bind the meat. We also add a small amount of unflavored gelatin, which mitigates graininess by trapping moisture and giving the meatballs a juicy mouthfeel. To boost meaty flavor, we add glutamate-rich ingredients such as Parmesan cheese, anchovies, and rehydrated dried shiitake mushrooms. These meatballs are also flavored with scallions, soy sauce, white pepper, and sesame oil.
Instructions
- Microwave broth and mushrooms in covered bowl until steaming, about 1 minute. Let sit until softened, about 5 minutes. Drain mushrooms in fine-mesh strainer and reserve liquid.
- Pulse bread in food processor until finely ground, 10 to 15 pulses; transfer bread crumbs to large bowl (do not wash processor bowl). Add Parmesan, scallion whites, half of scallion greens, sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons gelatin, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon white pepper to bowl with bread crumbs and mix until thoroughly combined. Pulse mushrooms and anchovies in food processor until chopped fine, 10 to 15 pulses. Add mushroom mixture, turkey, and egg to bowl with bread-crumb mixture and mix with your hands until thoroughly combined. Divide mixture into 16 portions (about 1/4 cup each). Using your hands, roll each portion into ball; transfer meatballs to plate and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- Sprinkle remaining 1 teaspoon gelatin over water in bowl and let stand until gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Heat vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add meatballs and cook until well browned all over, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer meatballs to paper towel–lined plate, leaving fat in skillet.
- Add garlic to skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Increase heat to high, stir in soy sauce, sesame oil, reserved mushroom liquid, gelatin mixture, and remaining ½ teaspoon white pepper and bring to simmer. Return meatballs to skillet, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until meatballs register 160 degrees, 12 to 15 minutes, turning meatballs once. Transfer meatballs to platter. Season sauce with salt to taste, pour over meatballs, garnish with remaining scallion greens, and serve.
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