Restaurant owner offers recipes for Thanksgiving feast with a Thai twist
Like most of us, Pam Liberda sits down to a Thanksgiving feast and enjoys the company of family.
But what might surprise some is the esteemed chef and owner of Waldo Thai Place does none of the cooking.
At the insistence of her husband’s family, she steps out of the kitchen that day.
That didn’t stop her from offering The Star some creative recipes for the big day. It’s a fairly traditional Thanksgiving meal, with a Thai twist.
“On Thanksgiving, we will go to lunch with my husband’s dad in Leawood, and later have dinner with my husband’s mom in Lenexa,” Liberda said.
It’s a very traditional feast for lunch as her husband’s dad is American. But his mother, whose roots are from Thailand, will serve curry noodles, a classic celebratory dish.
For these recipes, as well as the side dishes that will be presented in The Star next week, Liberda suggests finding an Oriental grocery store if you have trouble finding an ingredient or two.
Give Liberda pork, beef, duck or chicken and she knows exactly how to prepare the meat. But turkey? This was her first go-around, and it took her three tries to perfect it. But she did, and she offers up a recipe for a turkey sure to be a crowd-pleaser, along with a dipping sauce for those who might want a little extra spice.
Kow Mon Turkey, which uses the drippings from the bird, is similar to many dishes served at her restaurant.
Next week, Liberda offers a new twist on some classic American side dishes.
Thai Style Roasted Turkey
1 turkey (10 to 12 pounds)
Garlic compound butter (recipe below)
Dark soy glaze (recipe below)
For the brine:
2 gallons of water
2 cups kosher salt
2 cups white sugar
1⁄2 cup dried coriander seeds, toasted and crushed
10 cloves fresh garlic, smashed
1 tablespoon white pepper
To make garlic compound butter: fold 1/2 pound softened butter with 5 cloves minced fresh garlic and a pinch of salt. Place butter on parchment paper and roll into a log. Freeze until ready to use. When ready, cut butter into 1/4-inch disks.
To make soy glace, mix 1/2 cup dark soy sauce, 2 tablespoons water and a tablespoon coriander powder in a small bowl.
To make the brine, place water, salt, sugar, coriander seeds, garlic and white pepper into a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer until the salt and sugar are incorporated. Let completely cool, then place one 10 to 12 pound turkey into the brine. Place your turkey in the brine and refrigerate for two days before you are ready to cook.
On the day you are cooking your turkey, remove from the brine and air dry on a roasting pan.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
As the oven is preheating, tuck the compound butter under the skin of the turkey, making sure to place the butter evenly around the turkey.
Cover the top of the turkey with parchment paper, then wrap top of bird in aluminum foil. Roast for two hours.
After 2 hours uncover the turkey and brush with the dark soy glaze. Cook for an additional 30 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees in the breast and the thigh.
Let rest for 15 minutes before you carve the turkey.
Kow Mon Turkey
1/2 cup rendered turkey fat
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped ginger
2 cups uncooked jasmine rice
3 cups chicken broth
1 cucumber, sliced (for garnish)
Chopped cilantro (for garnish)
Heat rendered turkey fat in a rice cooker or heavy-bottomed pot with lid; cook and stir garlic, salt, pepper and ginger until golden and aromatic.
Pour rice into the rice cooker or pot; stir to coat with oil. Stir in chicken broth and set the rice cooker cycle. If using a pot, bring rice to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 15 minutes then turn off the heat, cover and let it sit for another 15 minutes.
Fluff the cooked rice and transfer to serving bowl and garnish with sliced cucumber and cilantro
Spicy Turkey Dipping Sauce
Yield: Makes about 2 cups
1 cup peeled, roughly chopped ginger
10 cloves fresh garlic
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
7 red Thai chili peppers
1/2 cup yellow bean paste
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup black soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon palm sugar
Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender.
Pulse until liquefied, but not smooth in texture.
Transfer to a serving dish.
This story was originally published November 11, 2019 at 3:05 PM.
