Easiest Moist Turkey Crispy Skin Recipe - Salt Rub and Baking Powder Turkey

This year, with both siblings out of town, I only had eight guests so I decided to splurge and bought a freshly slaughtered turkey from Chinese American Live Poultry - Rosemead, where my family buys fresh chickens for Hainanese chicken rice. The shop ordered 350 turkeys this year, which came in the Monday before Thanksgiving. By the time I made it to the store on Tuesday afternoon, nearly half the turkeys had been processed and sold. I grabbed the last one of the day. A 20-lber for $50! The most I've ever spent on a turkey so it better be good!

I've made my usual Salt Rub and Butter Turkey every Thanksgiving since 2007. (Well, with the exception of Thanksgiving 2008 when I ordered from the Chinese barbecue place, only for the family to be up in arms because my homemade turkey is much better. I haven't repeated that mistake.) Sometimes I add spices into the turkey salt rub, but otherwise I stick with what's tried and true.

Then this Thanksgiving, while skimming this Serious Eats post about brining, there was mention of adding baking powder to the salt rub for crispier skin. Can my already awesome turkey get even better?!

Canh Ga Xa Xiu (Vietnamese / Chinese Char Siu-Style Barbecued Chicken Wings)

Lazy post. Lazy recipe. :)

Unless you specifically want to make Chinese barbecue-styled chicken wings, the easiest thing to do is to toss in a few pounds of wings in the same pan that you're making Xa Xiu/Char Siu (Vietnamese Chinese Barbecued Pork).

I mean seriously, why make more work for yourself than necessary?

But just for you, I've included the recipe for the marinade below in case you love wings that much, or don't eat pork, or what have you.

Roast Pork Loin with Garlic and Rosemary

For Easter luncheon, since it was just family, I imagined an all-American Sunday supper sort of meal -- pot roast, baked chicken, macaroni and cheese. Despite the lack of color, which really gives credence to the slogan of pork being the other white meat, the roast pork loin was quite juicy and flavorful. I cut half a dozen slits on each side of the pork loin and shoved garlic and rosemary into each slit so that they could flavor the meat while it was baking. Since pork loin is very lean, I left the fat on and baked it fatty side up. I figured it was far better for guests to not eat the fat than to have dry pork.

Leftovers were great thinly sliced for a sandwich or served with a simple salad.

Banh Pa Te So Nhan Banh Mi (Vietnamese Pate Chaud (French Hot Pastry Pie) with Sandwich Fillings)

Shortly after trying the special at Au Coeur De Paris Patisserie & Boulangerie - Westminster ( Little Saigon), basically a Banh Pa Te So (Vietnamese Pate Chaud (French Hot Pastry Pie)) with Vietnamese sandwich fillings, I knew I would recreate this at home. Such a brilliant idea!

I made my usual Vietnamese puff pastry pies, then stuffed them like Au Coeur De Paris does with homemade Xa Xiu (Vietnamese Chinese Barbecued Pork), Cha Lua (Vietnamese Steamed Pork Loaf), and Do Chua (Vietnamese Pickled Stuff). Tucked in a few sprigs of cilantro and little hand-sized snacks were perfect.

I was trying to come up with a name to call these, but couldn't come up with anything shorter than what they are Banh Pa Te So Nhan Banh Mi (Vietnamese Pate Chaud (French Hot Pastry Pie) with Sandwich Fillings). Ha! If you're in the Little Saigon area, I highly recommend checking out Au Coeur De Paris' specials, but otherwise, they're easy enough to make at home, they just have a lot of components.

Hot flaky puff pastry stuffed with three kinds of meat and pickles? Perfection.

Sriracha Buffalo Roast Chicken

Considering that my Sriracha Buffalo Wings recipe is one of my older recipes on the blog, and considering how many roast chicken recipes I've already featured, I'm surprised I hadn't made the leap to this Sriracha Buffalo Roast Chicken recipe sooner.

I mean, I dip chicken in Sriracha all the time, but using it as a marinade is different. I used half a cup of Sriracha for a 5-lb chicken; obviously, you'll want to use less if you can't handle the heat. But as the Sriracha is mixed with butter and vinegar and sugar, and will mingle with the chicken juices as it cooks, the chicken actually won't be very hot, if at all, after it's done.

Like traditional Buffalo wings, I served the chicken with celery and carrot sticks and ranch dressing, although Blue Cheese Dressing is preferred. I also experimented with a Jicama Slaw with Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette, but that recipe's for another post.

Red (Lingonberry), White (Brie), and Blue(berry) Puff Pastry Tarts

My patriotic dessert for America's birthday were these red, white, and blue puff pastry tarts. The red was lingonberry jam, although strawberry or raspberry jams would work too, white brie, and fresh blueberries.

I was inspired by the apricot brie bites I saw on Old Town Home, but wanted to use fresh puff pastry and Independence Day seemed like the perfect time to get a little creative.

The sweetness of the fruit paired perfectly with the salty cheese, and who doesn't love anything baked in puff pastry? 

Banh Pa Te So (Vietnamese Pate Chaud (French Hot Pastry Pie))

I'm not sure why I haven't posted a recipe for Banh Pa Te So (Vietnamese Pate Chaud (French Hot Pastry Pie)) before. Perhaps I was overthinking it and wanted to wait until I tried my hand at making puff pastry. Or maybe I veered the other direction and thought it was so basic that it didn't need a recipe. I admit, I don't often make a filling specifically for banh pa te so. Rather, if I'm making Cha Gio (Vietnamese Egg Rolls), I use the leftover filling to stuff them or any other leftover filling or meat.

My mom buys frozen puff pastry in bulk and cuts them into squares and brings them down to me. So I almost always have some on hand. They make a great light breakfast or quick snack. But, since one of my readers requested, and in case you wanted to specifically make banh pa te so, here's my recipe.

By the way, I always knew that banh pa te so is the Vietnamese phonetic equivalent of pate chaud (French hot pastry pie), but according to Wikipedia, apparently it's an outdated 19th century term. Blame it on colonialism. Learn something new every day!

With my love for pot pies, well, really, any savory filling in pastry, it's a wonder I haven't posted about this before.

Robin's Egg Nest Easter Cupcakes

Robin's nest egg cupcakes for Easter. I was inspired to make these cupcakes after spying robin egg Whoppers at the store. Dyed coconut flakes green for the grass. German chocolate cupcakes since I figured the coconut in the frosting was already a present flavor. That's it!

Although, I did vary it a bit by adding Target Market Pantry brand Chickadees crackers to create love bird cupcakes.

So simple. As if you really need a recipe.

South African Turkey Rub with Basil, Garlic, and Smoked Paprika

With two turkeys to prepare for Thanksgiving, I knew one of them would be my standby Salt Rub and Butter Turkey so that meant I could be a little more adventurous with the second turkey.

I found a South African spice blend from Trader Joe's that I liked and decided to pick out the seasonings to add to the usual salt rub. I mean, I could have just used a few spoonfuls of the packaged seasoning, but this way I could control the amount of each spice. Besides, what if you wanted to make this recipe and there's no Trader Joe's near you?

The South African spiced turkey was quite a hit! Actually, my turkeys always are since I discovered the salt rub, but the spiced turkey was particularly so. Mainly I think because the garlic powder and smoked paprika were the standout flavors.

Salmon and Dill Mini Tarts

In December, I plowed my way through all seven seasons of "Gilmore Girls." I had forgotten how much I loved that show -- the quick talking, the pop culture references, the quirky townspeople, the grumpy Luke, and the relationship between Lorelai and Rory. One thing that really bothered me though was that Rory only applied to Yale and Harvard, as if it was a given she'd get in. Just because she was smart doesn't make that a given. She only did newspaper, and she wasn't even the editor. And one day hammering walls for Habitat for Humanity doesn't cut it for volunteer work. Sooo unrealistic. As if the show was realistic anyway. Ha!

Remember in Season 6, episode 5, "We've Got Magic to Do," in which Rory and Lorelai are on the outs because she wanted to drop out of school and moved into her grandparents' pool house and worked for the Daughters of the American Revolution and hosted a WWII-themed party? She served salmon tarts. Salmon tarts! I couldn't get the idea out of my head. (Also, did you know Season 6 is the only one that doesn't have English subtitles? Only Spanish and French. My DVD player sometimes makes the sound go in and out, so I like to have subtitles on just to make sure I catch everything. Watching "Gilmore Girls" with Spanish subtitles sure was an interesting experience.)

So recently when I was making my standard Baked Salmon with Lemon Pepper Seasoning, I decided to use the leftovers to make these salmon and dill mini tarts. Add a bit of sour cream and cream cheese to the salmon and baked them in puff pastry with another dollop of sour cream and dill on top.

Serve these as appetizers for a dinner party and they'll go just like that. I liked them best when the puff pastry and salmon filling were still warm, to contrast with the fresh coolness of the sour cream and dill, but they tasted just fine when cooled too.

Persimmon Mini Bundt Cakes

For my brother's Christmas Eve goose dinner, I wanted to make something a little more festive than just Persimmon Muffins. So I baked the other half of the batter into mini bundt cakes. Dusted with powdered sugar for a wintery effect.

Why yes, this is the exact same recipe as the persimmon muffins. :P Search engine optimization, yo! Plus, quickie post!

Persimmon Muffins

I made persimmon muffins to bring to my brother's Christmas Eve goose dinner. When persimmons are in season, and if you know someone who has a tree, then you know that when they ripen, you can't eat persimmons fast enough.

The big, pointy hachiya persimmons have to be very, very ripe before you can eat them. But once they're ripe, you can spoon them and eat them like pudding. I chose to mash them and make them into a couple of dozen muffins. You can also use the squat fuyu persimmons for this, just double the amount since they're smaller. Make sure the fuyus are also very ripe before doing so.

Turkey Pot Pie with Puff Pastry

What can I say about pot pies?

I've made traditional Chicken Pot Pie, varied it with Chicken Pot Pie with Cilantro Biscuits and Ca Ri Ga (Vietnamese Chicken Curry) Pot Pie. And when I'm feeling lazy, fall back to using puff pastry crust like with Bo Kho (Vietnamese Beef Stew) Pot Pie.

So when I'm feeling very lazy and have leftover turkey from Thanksgiving dinner, Turkey Pot Pie with Puff Pastry is the natural result.

Roast Turkey with Rosemary and Sage Salt Rub

Except for 2008, when I ordered a Chinese barbecued turkey to incorporate into my Asian-inspired Thanksgiving menu, the basic Salt Rub and Butter Turkey has been my staple recipe for years. And even though it has been good every single time, I wanted to change it up a notch.

Remembering the rosemary and sage salt sample I got from Woody's Gourmet on Day 145, I decided adding a bit of herbs to the salt sounded pretty delicious. The sample was only 1/2 teaspoon though. Way too little for a 15-lb turkey. So I added some more dried rosemary and sage from my spice cabinet into the salt rub. I didn't go overboard with the spices since I didn't want them to burn while the turkey was baking for so many hours. The result was the usual perfectly crispy skin and juicy turkey that the salt rub always produces with just a hint of rosemary and sage.

Way easier to make than the Rosemary Olive Oil Turkey Marinade I made back in 2005.

Apple Puff Pastry Turnovers

If you have any puff pastry leftover from making Semarang-Style Turnovers with Bamboo Shoots, Dried Shrimp, and Scrambled Eggs, then you can make dessert too. Actually, in real life, the Apple Puff Pastry Turnovers preceded the savory ones, but in blog life, I try to make the recipes more sequential.

These turnovers are great if you're craving apple pie, but are too lazy to make the dough. I guess you could use pre-made pie crust too, but there's just something about these flaky, hand-sized turnovers that make them more fun to eat.

I made them to bring to my youngest aunt's house for my paternal grandfather's death anniversary dinner and they disappeared in a jiffy.

Indonesian Semarang-Style Turnovers with Bamboo Shoots, Dried Shrimp, and Scrambled Eggs

I had just a bit of filling left over from making Lumpia Semarang (Indonesian Egg Rolls with Bamboo Shoots, Dried Shrimp, and Scrambled Eggs) to fold them into a few puff pastry turnovers. Waste not, want not!

I've included the original measurements for the egg rolls, in case you wanted to make those and use the leftover filling for turnovers like I did. Or you can certainly make a batch of turnovers only if you don't feel like doing any deep-frying.

The filling freezes well so you can easily divide the batch and save it for when you have a craving.

On Zucchini Bread and the Summer After Graduation

During my senior year of college, one of my friends finished her classes early so she just worked that spring until graduation. She lived in my apartment building and, with a little more time on her hands, spent an afternoon baking.

Would I like a flourless chocolate cake with raspberry coulis?

What about zucchini cake with cream cheese frosting?

Yes and yes!

Actually, my memory insists that she showed up at my door with a plate of three or four goodies, but I can't remember what the others were now. The zucchini cake with cream cheese frosting though? I kinda remember asking for an additional slice.

Chocolate Ale (Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar) Cake

I'd been wanting to try Nigella Lawson's recipe for chocolate Guinness cake for a while. Not really because I had any affinity for beer in desserts, but because I had a bottle of Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar that seemed perfect for the recipe and oldest nephew's birthday was just the excuse I needed. I guess anyone else would just drink the beer, but the recipe only calls for one cup, so I saved the rest of the bottle for oldest nephew and lil' sis to finish off.

I did make some minor adjustments to Nigella's recipe. After converting ml to oz, I also increased the amount of sour cream and cocoa, and decreased the amount of sugar per my tastebuds. The result was a very moist, slightly damp cake, with the nutty aroma of hazelnuts. The ale seemed to enhance the flavor of the chocolate. The frosting was just a mixture of whipped cream, cream cheese, and powdered sugar, a light complement to the richness of the cake.

Definitely a winner. I wonder what this cake would taste like if I substituted a non-alcoholic drink such as root beer? Hmmm.

Bo Kho (Vietnamese Beef Stew) Pot Pie

I don't know why it didn't occur to me sooner to make a Bo Kho (Vietnamese Beef Stew) Pot Pie. I mean, I made Ca Ri Ga (Vietnamese Chicken Curry) Pot Pie years ago so you'd figure this would already be in my radar, but nope.

My first attempt was to modify my Bo Kho (Vietnamese Beef Stew) recipe by pureeing the lemongrass and thickening the broth, but the result was too thick, not enough gravy, and the bits of lemongrass were too jarring. So I scooped the stew out of the pie shell, added water, and tried again. Still wasn't quite what I wanted.

Why was I trying to fix what wasn't broken? Remembering the beef stew with puff pastry at Hot Stuff Cafe - San Gabriel, I decided to keep the filling as much of a stew as possible. So I started over again with my usual Vietnamese beef stew recipe, but this time, halving the recipe and using only cubed beef, no bones. I did add a bit more flour than usual for a thicker gravy, but the biggest difference was the puff pastry crust. Delicious gravy-laden beef stew with flaky crust. Finally, it was perfect.

Now, the simplest thing to do is make a big batch of my Vietnamese beef stew, spoon some in individual servings and top with puff pastry. If you have some stoneware bowls, this is perfect for everyone to have their own Vietnamese beef stew pot pie. But you can also make a bigger pie portion and top it with a whole puff pastry shell like I did for Thanksgiving dinner.

Blueberry Muffins

As I said, once I get stuck on a particular recipe for something, that's it. And really, after looking at the golden crust and juicy blueberries in this recipe for blueberry muffins, why try another? This recipe for blueberry muffins is so good that I only waited five months to share it, as opposed to my usual two years+. :P