Dear Bored Panda community,

I am thankful for grandma helping us immigrate to the USA many years ago knowing very little English.

Till this day she calls me “LAYFIL.”

She arrived in New York as a chef and maid working for a wealthy Jewish family that brought her to USA.

As a widow, she was strong but endured many lonely winters in Brooklyn. Later, she was able to immigrate our entire family to USA. She is truly a change agent.

The best lesson she taught me in life. “You can choose to be happy or choose to be sad. Life keeps on going.”

Through the years, I never understood why she smiles despite what I thought were challenges. My grandpa died young. We had little money. Cold winters.

After school, I had the best foods in the world. I grew up eating macaroni and cheese on one day and others eating fried rice.

Throughout the years, I have been more self aware of life. Living in Hong Kong the past six years, I have truly learned not to take my citizenship for granted and realised how much my grandma sacrificed for me.

In life, I don’t need any motivational books to thrive I simply just retell grandma’s immigrant story to myself.

So now in my 30’s I wanted to thank her and surprise her with her very own soy sauce turkey recipe.

I live in Hong Kong but rushed back in San Francisco to surprise grandma for Thanksgiving.

Say goodbye to dry meat with a soy brine.

Ingredients:

12 lb. turkey

1 clove garlic

1 Tbsp. cooking oil

The Brine:

1 cup Superior Light Soy Sauce

1/2 cup Dark Soy Sauce  

1 cup brown sugar (dissolved in 1 cup hot water)

20 cups water

5 Spice Rub:

2 Tbsp. 5 Spice Powder

1 tsp. salt (to taste)

Ready in Total Time:  5 hr. 

Prep Time =  4 hours*

Cook Time = 3.5 hours

Preparation:

*Prep Instructions:

Clean and brine your turkey for at least 3-4 hours.

Pat dry with paper towels and place upright on a stand.  

For extra crisp skin:  Let the chicken air dry in your refrigerator overnight, or you can place in front of a fan for 30 mins. – 1 hour.  If using the refrigerator method, remove the chicken an hour before baking so it cooks faster.

Rub with cooking oil then the five spice rub.

Cut up a small piece of garlic and place it in the chicken cavity. The cooked garlic will be used for the oil.

Pre-heat an oven to 425F degrees (use convection baking if you have this) and bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, reduce the heat to 425F degrees and continue cooking for another about 3.5 hours.  

I recommend using a thermometer as oven temperatures can vary.

I usually aim for 160F degrees internal turkey temperature before removing and letting it rest. During resting time, it will continue to cook with residual heat up to 165F degrees.  

Make sure to let your turkey rest before cutting and serving.  This will give the juices a chance to redistribute.

Next boil your garlic noodles (sphagetti will work just fine).

Now take out melted garlic in the cavity and place in hot pan.

Add one ladle of turkey gravy and add desired amount of noodles.

Serve and enjoy the soy sauce turkey recipe with garlic noodles.

Tips: I learn that the breast (white meat) cooks fast than dark meat so I would advise covering foil on the breast one hour after cooking or flipping the turkey breast down. I tested two turkey and the second turkey breast facing down resulted in juicier meat.

Enjoy. Thanks grandma for being awesome!

Give grandma a like on YouTube and feel free to comment. I try my best to respond and be helpful.

Rayfil – (instagram.com/asianfoodnerd)

More info: rayfil.com

What happened when I surprised grandma with her own soy sauce turkey recipe.

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