Sticky Ginger Lime Turkey with Caviar Limes
A few years ago I saw a GIF of caviar being squeezed out of something, or so I thought. After a bit of research, I discovered I was watching a Finger Lime being squeezed of its contents. It is also appropriately called a “Caviar” Lime because the flesh of the lime look like caviar looking balls, which are called juice vesicles, that appropriately “pop” when bitten into, allowing the floral, lime juice to spill out. With further research, I learned that they were originally native to Australia, particularly near Queensland and New South Wales. It is a traditional food for the Aboriginal people in Australia which almost completely got wiped out due to European settlements. Thankfully a few pockets of trees survived the clear-cutting that was done in order to support farms and they have been increasing in number and in popularity. They thrive in the subtropical climate but recently have been cultivated in many places around the world, including California.
I had put my thoughts on finger limes to the back of my head until I randomly came across a blog that mentioned them and suggested a place to get them, Fruitstand.com. They sell “experiences” to introduce people to new fruits and put them together at times with other items. While I don’t think it’ll be my go-to for every order of finger limes as I have since found several ways to get them in different quantities, it was a great way to be introduced to them. I certainly will use them as a gift-giving option as well as trying other fruits I have never experienced personally. On a side note, I also purchased the Yuzu I used for my Ponzu Shoyu from there as well with great results. Some of their fruit comes with a natural coating called “APEEL” which is supposed to elongate the freshness of the fruit. I’ll be honest, I stored them in different ways and did not see any difference in their freshness as compared to the literature I have read so I am not sure if it’s actually needed or not.
My next task was figuring out how I wanted to use the limes. Most recipes call for them as a garnish to add an extra “pop” of flavor to both food and beverage, but I wanted to actually cook with them and see if I could use them as a replacement for a regular lime. The flavor of the finger lime is definitely different from a regular common lime. It is much more floral, especially the scent, but it is also more tart and has an astringent quality to the citrus. Alright, that description may not come out as pleasing to some, but they are indeed delicious.
As I thought about what recipe to use them in, I kept coming to a “ginger- lime” pairing. Because of the very bright tartness, I wanted to balance it a bit with some sweetness. This reminded me of a ginger chicken dish my mother made once when I was younger. It wasn’t something she typically made and it probably came courtesy of a weight watchers cookbook, but it’s a strong memory that I have not been able to replicate, nor does she even remember making. Anyway, I came up with this sticky ginger-caviar lime turkey dish that can be easily made with chicken. I have since made it twice. Initially using the sous vide, which was outstanding and I highly recommend, but also a quick version which was still quite good and flavorful.
Recipe Card
Sous Vide Sticky Ginger Turkey with Caviar Limes
Ingredients
Method
- Combine half of the minced shallot, grated ginger, sans 2 teaspoons, soy sauce, brown sugar, caviar from 6 finger limes (or the juice of 1 lime and a tablespoon of the zest), and 1 teaspoon olive oil to make a marinade for the poultry.
- Prep turkey or chicken into the size you wish and add it and the marinade to a food storage bag and vacuum seal it.
- Place it in a Sous Vide set to 137℉ and cook according to safety recommendations according to thickness. Here is a reputable chart for poultry.*
- Remove the poultry from the sous vide. Remove the poultry from the bag, reserving all of the marinade, and pat the tenders dry. Sprinkle the tenders with Chinese five-spice if desired for extra flavor depth.
- Take the other half of the minced shallots and sauté it in a heavy-bottomed pan with a tablespoon of oil.
- When the shallots start to soften, about 2-3 minutes, push them to the sides of the pan and add the poultry tenders to the hot pan and sear them on both sides. Then remove them from the pan and set aside.
- Add a few splashes of sherry to deglaze the pan. Just enough to cover the bottom of the pan and cook for 2 minutes
- While deglazing sprinkle the flour on top of both sides of the poultry.
- After the sherry has cooked down a bit, add the extra 2 teaspoons of grated ginger along with the reserved marinade, honey, and 2 ounces of water.
- While whisking to dissolve and distribute the honey, cook for another 2-3 minutes before adding back the poultry. (If you are using regular limes, add the juice of the second lime here as well*)
- Add the poultry to the pan and toss it thoroughly with pan’s contents. Cook for another 4-6 minutes until the sauce thickens. Taste the sauce; if it is too strong, add a bit more water to balance according to your personal tastes.
- Plate the poultry, spoon the sauce on top of it, and add the caviar from 1 finger lime (or the rest of the lime zest) per serving on top of the sauce. Garnish with the sliced green onion.
* Notes (if you see an * please check here):
- The reason we are cooking it so low is that it will finish in the pan and the temp will increase further.
- Taste the sauce after the water is well incorporated. If it is still too strong for your liking, add a bit more water to your taste.
- If you are using lime juice, you may want to taste the dish and only add what you desire from the second lime as individual tastes differ.
If you would like to do a quicker version that isn’t sous vide, you can find it here.
Easy Sticky Ginger Lime Turkey
Ingredients
Method
- Cut the Turkey or chicken into 4 portions and sprinkle the portions with Chinese five-spice if desired for extra flavor depth and some salt and pepper. Let sit for 20- 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
- If not using the Chinese five-spice, prep the poultry with some salt and pepper to taste.
- Combine the Soy sauce, ginger, brown sugar, honey, and caviar from 6 finger limes or juice from 1 lime and 1 tablespoon of zest with 2 ounces of water.
- Take the minced shallots and sauté them in a heavy-bottomed pan with a tablespoon of oil.
- When the shallots start to soften, about 2-3 minutes, push them to the sides of the pan and add the poultry to the hot pan, and let it cook on one side for 3-4 minutes before flipping and repeating on the other side*
- Add a few splashes of sherry to deglaze the pan. Just enough to cover the bottom of the pan and cook for 2 minutes.
- Sprinkle the flour over the poultry, making sure to turn to get both sides.
- Add the marinade and cook for another 4-6 minutes until the sauce thickens. If you are using lime juice, add the juice from the second lime, according to taste.
- Plate the poultry, spoon the sauce on top of it, and add the caviar from 1/2 of a finger lime (or the rest of the lime zest) per serving on top of the sauce. Garnish with the sliced green onion.
* Notes (if you see an * please check here):
- The cook time for the poultry will depend on its thickness. If it is really thin, it can be seared and then cooked in the sauce. Use your judgement and take care not to overcook it.
Note: I highly suggest having a digital scale in your kitchen. It takes the guesswork out and makes baking recipes a lot more successful. All of my recipes are written in metric weights. If you do not have a scale and need to convert a recipe or ingredient to volume, you can use the buttons to the right and copy /paste the recipe into the handy recipe conversion tool or the single ingredient conversion.