Thanksgiving just isn't the same without turkey. I've been cooking Thanksgiving turkey since I first arrived in the U.S. and I will continue this tradition for as long as I live. This year I will be making this recipe by my dear Maricel Presilla, chef and author Gran Cocina Latina, a book that in my opinion is the bible of Latin cooking. I found this Latin-style turkey recipe taken from Maricel's book on NBCLatino. I do hope you enjoy it with your family and friends on Thanksgiving.
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Latin-style turkey
Yields 12-16 servings
Ingredients
1 turkey (15 to 20 lb.)
1 tsp. salt
12 dry mirasol peppers
3 heads of garlic (in peeled cloves)
1 Cup of bitter orange juice (you can sub this with half a cup of orange juice and half a cup of lemon juice)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. Jamaican pepper
1/4 Cup of chopped cilantro
1/2 Cup annato seed and olive oil infusion. This is made by cooking the annato seed in the oil until it bubbles. Then it's left to cool down and you filter it, discarding the seeds
1/4 Cup of pisco
1 Cup of chicken broth
6 ripe unpeeled plaintains, cut in thirds
6 squared sweet potatoes
2 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 Cup of cold water
Prep
1. Wash and dry the turkey with paper towels. Rub with salt and set aside.
2. In a medium-sized pot with boling water, cook the peppers until they're soft and tender, 15 minutes.
3. Rinse the pepeprs and blend in food processor with the garlic, orange juice, cumin, cilantro, annato and olive oil and pisco, until puréed.
4. Set the turkey in a deep oven dish. Rub the turkey with the mix, inside and out. Cover with plastic film and store in the fridge.
5. Preheat oven to 350F.
6. Peel away the plastic film, add the broth and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 2 and half hours.
7. Take off the aluminum foil and place the plantains and sweet potatoes around the turkey. Cover again with aluminum foil and bake for another hour, pouring the turkey broth over it from time to time.
8. Once the turkey is done, place it on a large cutting board. Pour the broth in a small pot and mix the cornstarch with a little water until it forms a thick paste. Pour into a serving bowl and serve along with the turkey.
9. Serve the turkey along with the plantains and sweet potatoes.
More recipes in my cooking blog.
Image via NBCLatino
