Honey and Oranges: Florida Wild Turkey Glaze
How awesome would it be to create a wild turkey meal using local Florida honey? That thought led me on a search for honey. As we drove to the honey stand, we passed tons of old Florida orange groves and again I felt inspired. Be fresh and simple.
Have you ever been inspired to create a meal because you saw something? While hunting turkey in central Florida, I saw a swarm of bees on a post. For most people this swarm would be nothing more than a cool picture. But before I got back in the truck, my mind was racing with ideas. How awesome would it be to create a wild turkey meal using local Florida honey? That thought led me on a search for honey. As we drove to the honey stand, we passed tons of old Florida orange groves and again I felt inspired. Be fresh and simple.
We stopped at a roadside stand and picked up a bag full of fresh hand-picked oranges and the recipe created itself. After shooting my turkey, I now had the three main elements of my Florida-inspired recipe. This recipe may not come off as your typical recipe when you think of Florida, but the flavors and ingredients scream local and fresh.
Over an open fire I added these simple ingredients to create a beautiful grilled wild turkey with a honey and orange sticky glaze. Eating off the land means something to me, and doing it while hunting means even more.
Ingredients:
- 1 turkey breast, sliced thin
- 1 cup orange blossom honey
- 2 oranges, juiced and zested equaling 1 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice and 1 tablespoon zest
- 4 cloves garlic, mashed
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cracked pepper
- 2 whole green onions
- 1 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
- 2 tablespoons sesame seed oil
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Slice turkey breasts thin, length wise from top of breast to bottom. Slide slices on presoaked wooden skewers.
- Season with salt and pepper, place on grill over medium high heat.
- While turkey is cooking, start the glaze. In a shallow skillet, add sesame oil over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and cook 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
- Add orange juice, soy sauce and mix, de-glazing the skillet.
- Add honey, brown sugar and green onions. Bring to boil then reduce heat to simmer.
- Mix 2 tablespoons water with cornstarch, add to glaze and whisk in to mix.
- Once skewers are cooked to 155 degrees, add to skillet and start basting skewers.
- Cook and baste for 2-4 minutes
- Remove from heat and enjoy.