Wild Turkey Egg Rolls

Brad Fenson

So, you finally shot a monster gobbler with a beard so long it was dragging on the ground and spurs hooked far enough back to hang him from them on a tree limb. You’ve earned bragging rights but are afraid the bird will even make the gravy tough. 

Solution: Grind your turkey and use the mince to utilize every ounce of your prized bird fully. The breast and thigh meat are easy to bone out and grinds easily. It is not recommended to use the leg meat, as the number of small bones increases your chances of having an unwanted crunch in your dinner. 

With the multitude of options to use up the ground gobbler, try making some egg rolls. They utilize all food groups with veggies, meat, and dipping sauce and will be an immediate hit with your clan or hunting crew. 

If you have leftover turkey from last season, now is the perfect time to grind it up and find a new recipe to use in camp this spring. 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground wild turkey (thigh and breast meat are both great choices)
• 3 Tbsp olive or vegetable oil
• 2 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 cup mushrooms, finely diced (fresh morels or flavorful shitakes or mini portabellas work great)
• 1 cup carrots, shredded
• 2 cups green cabbage, shredded
• ½ cup onion, thinly sliced
• 3 cups frying oil (good quality vegetable oil or peanut oil) 
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 2 Tbsp water
• Egg roll wrappers

 
Directions:

1. Mix the ground turkey, ginger, garlic and soy sauce in a medium bowl and marinate in the fridge for 30-60 minutes.
2. While the meat is marinating, grate the carrot and squeeze out as much moisture as you can. Line a colander or bowl with paper towels and let carrots sit to draw moisture out.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive or vegetable oil to medium in a Camp Chef cast iron frying pan and brown the turkey for 4-6 minutes. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside in a medium bowl.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive or vegetable oil to medium-high, add the carrots and cabbage to the pan and sauté for 2-3 minutes and then add the mushrooms. Sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes. At this point, the mushrooms should have wilted down, and no more moisture should remain in the pan. The key is to cook the veggies quickly, so they remain crisp and do not become soggy. Add the meat back to the pan and mix with the veggies.
5. Mix the flour and water to form a slurry. The mixture will be used to seal the wrappers as you roll them and keep them crisp when frying.
6. Lay out a wrapper so it faces you in a diamond shape. Add 1/4 or 1/3 cup of the filling to the center of the wrapper. The amount will vary, depending on the size of wrappers you use.  Fold up the corner closest to you, fold in the sides, then brush some of the slurry on the open edge and complete the roll. Place rolls in a single layer on a plate or baking sheet and keep your workspace dry to avoid rips or tears in the wrappers.
7. Heat frying oil to 375°F. Fry the egg rolls in batches, turning occasionally, about 6-8 minutes or until golden brown. Since the filling is already cooked, you only need to fry until the wrapper is crispy! Drain on a paper towel. 

Serve with plum sauce or fish sauce for dipping.