Ask Wandering Chopsticks 3

Thanksgiving leftovers for breakfast or lunch are fine, even welcomed, but by dinner time, my taste buds want something new. So when my youngest aunt told me to come over for dinner, I happily went.

Oooh! Lau (Vietnamese hot pot)! Or more specifically, cu lao. According to my youngest aunt's husband, who hails from Soc Trang in the Mekong Delta, cu lao is named after the ringed brazier in which coal is placed in the middle of the hot pot. Although lau and cu lao might appear similar, cu lao is a dish that originated with the ethnic Chinese in the Mekong Delta and requires certain ingredients and presentation.

There is a layer of cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, and carrots underneath all that meat. There should be a mix of seafood and pork. There are king crab legs, my aunt's homemade shrimp balls, and squid. Dried squid was soaked for several days to soften and reconstitute before being sliced into diamond patterns and added to the pot. The pork includes sliced pork meat, hearts, and rinds. There should also be part of the pork stomach or intestine too, said my uncle.

Mmm. A whole lot of crab legs before the rest of the ingredients got added to the pot.


Served with a side of my aunt's homemade baechu kimchi (Korean pickled napa cabbage) with added daikon and carrots.


Last Christmas when my parents were in town, my aunt made bun mang vit (Vietnamese noodle soup with duck and bamboo shoots).

"Didn't you like your soup?" My aunt asked me after I had eaten.

I told her it was delicious.

"Why didn't you photograph it then?" She asked forlornly.

Good thing I remembered to bring my camera along to document this meal. It even came with a nice little history lesson too.

Did you miss Ask Wandering Chopsticks 1? Go there if you did. Or click on the "Ask Wandering Chopsticks" tag below for previous editions. Otherwise, got any questions for me? You have until 11:59 p.m. Sunday, November 29 to ask anything within reason.

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1 year ago today, traditional Thanksgiving dinner with an Asian fusion twist.
3 years ago today, Shin-Sen-Gumi Hakata Ramen - Rosemead.

Rosemary Olive Oil Turkey Marinade

The last of my revisiting Thanksgivings past recipes is the rosemary olive oil marinade. This was also brined in the Orange Juice Brown Sugar Turkey Brine. The rosemary and olive oil gave it more of a Mediterranean flavor so I served up two distinctly different turkeys in 2005.

Rosemary Olive Oil Turkey Marinade

For a 13-lb turkey, you'll need:

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup fresh rosemary leaves, chopped

Pull rosemary leaves off the stems and roughly chop.

Add the leaves into the olive oil and stir to mix evenly.

Then rub the mixture all over the outside and inside of the turkey, making sure to stuff the leaves in between the layers of skin and meat.

Bake as normal, 425 degrees breast-side down for half an hour to 45 minutes until that side is golden. Flip and bake breast-side up at 350 degrees for three or four hours until the turkey is done.

Enjoy!

I've noticed a bunch of searches in the past few days for turkey and brining recipes. To make it easy on you, here are the links to Thanksgivings past. The side dishes recipes are linked in the posts.

Last year's Thanksgiving dinner with an Asian fusion twist.


A more traditional Thanksgiving dinner in 2007.


And for loners who don't have a place to go, my review of frozen turkey dinners.


I just rubbed salt all over the turkey for the Salt Rub and Butter Turkey Dry Brine. I'll be making mashed potatoes and stuffing (We like Stove Top.). And you'll just have to check back to see what other dishes I'm making this year.

Today, one of my students wrote in an essay about being thankful, "If I get a turkey for Thanksgiving, I will be thankful. If I get a giant steak or ribs for Thanksgiving, I will be even more thankful and happy because I take my meat very seriously, especially steak and ribs." Bwahaha!

Happy cooking everyone!

My other turkey marinade:
Butter, Maple, Orange Juice Turkey Marinade

My turkey brining recipes:
Apple Juice and Red Wine Turkey Brine
Orange Juice Brown Sugar Turkey Brine
Salt Rub and Butter Turkey Dry Brine

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1 year ago today, lasagna with meat sauce.
2 years ago today, jungle red hibiscus flowers.
3 years ago today, little red houses and apple trees.

Butter, Maple, and Orange Juice Turkey Marinade

Ah, my first turkey.

They say you always remember your first, right? :P

The butter, maple, and orange juice turkey marinade went with the Orange Juice Brown Sugar Turkey Brine, not that you necessarily have to pair it that way. Use my preferred Salt Rub and Butter Turkey Dry Brine if you wish.

Constant basting isn't really necessary. Maybe do it every 45 minutes or so. It's really near the end of the cooking time that the marinade will thicken up and then you'll want to pour the marinade over the turkey so that the flavor kicks in.


Butter, Maple, and Orange Juice Turkey Marinade

For an about 13-lb turkey, you'll need:

1/2 cup butter (one stick)
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup maple syrup (I prefer Grade B as the maple flavor is stronger. Don't substitute with pancake syrup. Real, 100% maple syrup is the best stuff.)

In a pan at medium heat, melt 1/2 cup butter into 1/2 cup orange juice. Add 1/4 cup maple syrup.

Stir.

When the butter is melted, turn the heat down to medium-low and let simmer for 5 minutes for the marinade to thicken and meld.

Let it cool down in the fridge until the marinade is solid again. The butter and orange juice will separate, but don't worry, enough of the orange juice will have flavored the butter that it'll flavor the turkey. Rub the butter between the pockets of skin and meat and all over the outside of the turkey. Pour the remaining orange juice mixture in between the pockets and over the skin.

Bake as normal, 425 degrees breast-side down for half an hour to 45 minutes until that side is golden. Flip and bake breast-side up at 350 degrees for three or four hours until the turkey is done.

Baste about every 45 minutes or so, making sure to liberally spoon the marinade over the turkey during the last 45 minutes of cooking.

Enjoy!

My other turkey marinade recipe:
Rosemary Olive Oil Turkey Marinade

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1 year ago today, vegetarian lasagna with broccoli, kale, and zucchini.
2 years ago today, Happy Holidays or when I put up my tree or granny square afghan.
3 years ago today, the best New England clam chowder recipe ever.