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LATIN AMERICAN CHRISTMAS TURKEY
Latin american christmas turkey
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How to:

Cook a turkey just right

Defrost the turkey in a bowl in the refrigerator for 24 hours so that it thaws at a controlled temperature.

Slow cooking results in a more succulent turkey. The suggested oven temperature is 180 deg. C.

For a 3 - 3.9kg bird, cook for 2 1/2  hours.

For a 4-4.9kg bird, cook for 3 hours.

Cover your bird with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the middle of the oven to ensure even heat distribution. Baste it two to three times while cooking.

A 4kg turkey should adequately serve nine to 12 with a serving size of around 350g per person.

RECIPES TO TRY

Roast turkey with porcini rice stuffing that can easily be made by browning a handful of mushrooms with a sliced onion and herbs and spices of your choice and mixing this with 3 cups of cooked rice.

Free-range roast turkey with oak smoked roast gammon and star shaped roasted santa potatoes

Christmas turkey served on a bed of lentil salad and lemony mushrooms

 

 



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Recipe by: Phillippa Cheifitz
Serves: 8
Allergens: Wheat free / Gluten free
Category: A little effort / Kid-friendly
Prep time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 2 hour
Ingredients:
1 turkey (about 4kg) with giblets, cleaned and at room temperature
½ c brandy
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
About 100g unsalted butter, melted, for roasting
For the stuffing
2 T unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
250 g lean pork mince
250 g veal mince
250 g baked ham, diced
The turkey liver, finely chopped
2 cups day-old breadcrumbs
½ t ground allspice
½ t ground cinnamon
120 g coarsely chopped pitted prunes
120 g chopped dried apricots
85 g sliced blanched almonds
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup dry sherry
1 t salt
½ t freshly ground black pepper
For the gravy
Neck and giblets from turkey
About 1 litre (4 cups) chicken broth
½ cup dry sherry
3 T flour
3 T quince jelly
1 T brandy
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Cooking instructions:

The day before roasting, wash and dry the turkey, then rub it inside and out with the brandy and seasoning. Cover loosely with clingfilm and refrigerate.

To make the stuffing: Make the stuffing a day in advance and refrigerate. Melt the butter in a large pan and add the onion. Cook gently, for about 5 minutes, or until softened but still pale. Add the pork and veal, and stir with a large fork until it changes colour, losing its pinkness.

Remove from the heat and mix with the ham and liver. Allow to cool. Lightly toss the breadcrumbs, spices, fruit, nuts, egg, sherry and seasoning. Mix well with the meats.

To roast: Preheat the oven to 160ºC.

Just before roasting, loosely stuff the turkey. Bake any extra stuffing in an ovenproof dish for about 45 minutes. Tie the legs of the turkey and brush with melted butter. Place in a buttered roasting pan and roast for about 2 hours, basting with butter or pan drippings every half an hour, until deeply browned and tender. Remove and cover with foil to keep warm while preparing the gravy.

To make the gravy: Simmer the cleaned giblets in the broth for about an hour. Strain and set aside. Skim the fat from the juices in the roasting pan and set aside 15ml (3T). Add the sherry to the juices and heat on the stovetop, stirring to remove the browned bits.

Strain and set aside. In a medium saucepan, heat the reserved fat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, until smooth. Whisk in the reserved stock and pan juices. Bring to the boil, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 5 minutes. Add the jelly, brandy and seasoning.

Per serving:
5935kJ, 134g protein, 74.3g fat, 38.5g carbs

 

TASTE’s take:

Turkey is the star of the Christmas dinner in most Latin American countries. It may be marinated in fruit juices (orange or lime), rum or wine, then slowly roasted. Or it may be stuff ed with meat, nuts and fruit.

This recipe is adapted from the original published in The South American Table by Maria Baez Kijac (The Harvard Common Press). All it needs on the side is a bowl of lightly dressed greens.

Wine: Vergelegen Chardonnay 2006


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Our classic Christmas menu, with a couple of easy, interesting twists

Christmas is around the corner, and now is a good time to start thinking about what you'll be making and baking. Maybe it's also a good idea to ring the changes just a touch? Here is some great inspiration.

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Useful Tools

conversion table

½ t = 2 ml
1 t = 5 ml
1 T = 15 ml
½ cup = 125 ml
1 cup = 250 ml

Fahrenheit - Celsius

Subtract 32, then multiply by 0.56

Celsius - Fahrenheit

Multiply by 1.8, then add 32




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