Name: Turkey Jook
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 4 hours 30 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 roast turkey or rotisserie chicken carcass, meat removed; 2 large carrots, peeled, coarsely chopped; 2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped; 1 small onion, unpeeled, quartered through root end; 3 dried shiitake mushrooms; 1 (2" piece) ginger, peeled, sliced ¼" thick; 3 pieces chung choi (salted preserved turnip) or 1 ball, coarsely chopped (optional); 1⅓ cups calrose or other medium-grain rice, rinsed; ¼ cup unsalted roasted peanuts; 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 2¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more; 3 cups shredded or 1" pieces cooked turkey, divided; Cilantro leaves with tender stems, julienned peeled ginger, thinly sliced scallions, store-bought fried onions, and/or sriracha (for serving; optional)

Two bowls of shredded turkey and rice topped with fried shallots cilantro peanuts and chung choi.

Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Mira Evnine

Turkey jook is the unofficial day-after-Thanksgiving dish in Hawai‘i. This comforting, savory rice porridge, introduced to the islands by Chinese immigrants during Hawai‘i’s plantation era, is a great way to use up your leftover turkey—carcass and all—transforming it into a creamy, umami-packed dish. What I love about this recipe is that it’s extremely forgiving and infinitely adaptable. And this version feels extra special because it’s not every day that you roast a turkey. You can serve turkey jook for breakfast, lunch, or dinner—or even as a snack. The list of possible toppings is endless, and while I’ve given a few recommendations in this recipe, you can top the porridge with whatever speaks to you. If you’re serving this for breakfast, I suggest putting an egg on it (preferably soft-boiled).

The ingredient list is simple, and most items should already be in your pantry or fridge. It’s worth seeking out the chung choi, though. Although using this salted preserved turnip is optional, it is a common addition in many jook recipes and adds an intense pop of savory-saltiness that can’t be replicated.

The total time on this recipe might cause alarm, but don’t worry, it’s almost all hands-off, inactive time. In my house we prep the stock on Thanksgiving, throwing the turkey carcass in the stockpot while we’re cleaning up after dinner. In the morning it’s easy to add the rest of the ingredients in and have a fresh pot of jook to enjoy throughout the day. This recipe includes instructions for making your own stock using the leftover turkey carcass, but you can skip this step and use 1 gallon of your preferred brand of low-sodium chicken broth instead.