Savory Turkey Cabbage Wrap, Chef Nick Lopez, Isle Casino, Bettendorf

Dashi Stock

  • 2 cups of bonito flakes

  • 5-6 pieces of kombu

  • 2 quarts of water

  1. Add the kombu to the water and let it soak for 3 hours. (You can do this 3 days ahead for a stronger umami flavor.)

  2. After the time is up boil the kombu and then remove the kombu from the dashi and turn off the heat. (Kombu can be used in a different recipe later. Do not throw away)

  3. Add the bonito flakes and let it steep for 4 minutes.

  4. Strain the dashi and set aside.

Savoy Cabbage

  • 6 cabbage leaves (washed)

  • 2 quarts of Dashi stock

  • Bowl with ice water

  1. Bring dashi to a boil.

  2. Add Savoy cabbage leaves and blanch for 1-2 minutes. 

  3. Remove cabbage and shock it in ice water to rapidly cool and crispen up the leaves for about 5 minutes.

  4. Once cooled remove from the ice and pat dry with paper towel. 

Miso Glaze

  • ¼ cup of red miso paste

  • ¼ cup brown sugar

  • ¼ cup mirin

  • ¼ cup sake

  • 1 Tablespoon bonito flakes

  • 2 ½ Tablespoon fresh ginger

  1. In a saucepan add mirin, sake and bonito flakes and bring to a boil.

  2. Strain liquid to remove bonito flakes  

  3. Add brown sugar, miso paste, and ginger. Simmer the sauce and cook down for 8-10 minutes until completely coating the back of a spoon. Keep it hot for plating.

Ground turkey filling

  • 1 pound of ground turkey

  • ½ tablespoon chili paste

  • 2 teaspoons of fresh garlic

  • ¼ cup roasted Korean pine nuts

  • ¼ cup brown sugar

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

  • 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar

  • ½ tablespoon fresh ginger

  • ½ red peppers finely chopped

  • ½ red onion finely chopped

  • ¼ cup carrots finely chopped

  • 1 tablespoon of soybean oil

  • ½ cup dashi stock 

  1.  In a medium size pot add soybean oil and turn up to a medium high heat. Once oil begins to smoke add in turkey.

  2. Brown turkey and make sure to get as much brown as possible. 

  3. Once completely browned remove turkey from the pot. 

  4. In the same pot add in peppers, onions and carrots for 3 minutes or till veggies become aromatic on a low to medium heat. 

  5. Add garlic and ginger and cook for another 2 minutes.

  6. Add chili paste and brown sugar, stir to coat the vegetables. 

  7. Bring the pot back up to a medium high heat. Once the pot is hot enough then add dashi, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and deglaze the bottom of the pot. 

  8. Re-add turkey and reduce to a simmer and let the liquid render down.

  9. Once rendered add in pine nuts and mix well. Keep it hot for plating.


Assembling the plate.  

  1. Lay out the cabbage leaves and add filling across the leaves.

  2. Roll the wrap making sure to keep it tight. (you can use a sushi matt for this) 

  3. Cut the wrap and you should get 2-3 bite size wraps.

  4. Do this for the other leaves. Should make 5-6 appetizer plates.

  5. On a plate lay wraps flat and organize them in a line with about 1-2 inches between them. 

  6. Add glaze over wraps using a squeeze bottle with a medium size tip. 

  7. Garnish on side of plate with pickled ginger.

  8. Serve or enjoy!