Fiesta Turkey with Chorizo and Cashew Stuffing

FIESTA TURKEY WITH CHORIZO AND CASHEW STUFFING / PAVO DE FIESTA CON CHORIZO Y NUEZ DE LA INDIA

Serves 10

If you need a stunner for Thanksgiving dinner, here’s your recipe, which is modeled on the traditions of coastal Veracruz. It results in a moist, juicy bird, with an irresistible adobo marinade and a to-die-for stuffing. The turkey is marinated for a day (or two) in a pineapple and orange adobo sauce. The adobo is poured over the turkey before it goes into the oven, so it caramelizes as it thickens and seasons the bird even more. The sweet and tart flavors in the adobo harmonize with those in the stuffing, which is made with a soft bread and a colorful mix of ingredients that include cashews, tomatoes, and chorizo.

You will need to start at least a day ahead so the bird can marinate.

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE ADOBO MARINADE AND TURKEY

• 4 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded

• 4 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded

• 8 garlic cloves, peeled

• 4 cups peeled, cored, and chopped fresh pineapple

  TREASURES OF THE MEXICAN TABLE: Classic Recipes, Local Secrets Pati Jinich

• 1 cup coarsely chopped white onion

• 1⁄2 cup packed dark brown sugar or grated piloncillo

• 1⁄4 cup white vinegar

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground canela or cinnamon

• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, or more to taste

• 1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice (from 5 to 6 medium oranges)

• 1 cup chicken broth

• 1 (14- to 16-pound) turkey, rinsed and patted dry, giblets removed, neck reserved

FOR THE STUFFING

• 1⁄4 cup olive oil

• 8 cups diced brioche or challah ( 1⁄2-inch dice)

• 3⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the

• croutons

• 1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper,

• plus more for the croutons

• 1⁄4 cup vegetable oil

• 1 pound Mexican chorizo, casings removed

• and chopped

• 2 cups finely chopped white onions

• 1 cup finely chopped celery

• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 1 pound ripe tomatoes, finely chopped, or 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

• 1⁄2 teaspoon aniseseeds

• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried marjoram

• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground canela or cinnamon

• 2 cups chicken broth

• 1 cup pitted prunes, finely chopped

• 1 cup cashews, finely chopped

FOR ROASTING THE TURKEY AND THE GRAVY

• 1 pound ripe tomatoes, chopped, or 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

• 4 celery stalks, chopped

• 3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

• 2 medium white onions, chopped

• 2 cups chicken broth

DIRECTIONS

To marinate the turkey: One to two days ahead, combine the ancho and guajillo chiles and garlic cloves in a medium saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the chiles and garlic are softened. Drain and transfer the chiles and garlic to a blender. 

Add the pineapple, onion, brown sugar, vinegar, oregano, canela or cinnamon, salt, and pepper to the blender and puree until smooth.

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the chile puree and orange juice, stir, bring to a simmer, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened and darkened in color and the flavors have intensified. Add the chicken broth, stir, and set aside to cool to room temperature. 

Slide the turkey and the neck into a large brining bag or plastic bag (you can use a kitchen garbage bag) and place in a large bowl, with the turkey breast side down. Open up the bag and pour in the marinade. Reach in and massage the marinade into and over the turkey, working it into the cavity and all the crevasses. Seal the bag (leave it in the bowl). Place the bowl in the refrigerator and marinate for at least 12 hours and up to 48 hours (the longer the better), turning the turkey in the bag a couple of times to redistribute the marinade. 

To make the stuffing: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, with a rack in the middle. Brush a large baking sheet with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Put the bread in a large bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over the bread, and toss well with your hands. 

Spread the bread evenly on the baking sheet and bake for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, turn the pieces of bread over, and return to the oven for another 5 to 6 minutes, or until golden. Return the croutons to the bowl and set aside. Move the oven rack to the lowest position and increase the heat to 400 degrees F. 

Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chorizo and cook, breaking it apart with a couple of wooden spoons or spatulas, until it has browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chorizo to the bowl with the croutons, leaving as much of the fat as you can in the skillet.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil to the skillet. Add the onions and celery and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened and just beginning to brown. Clear a space in the center of the skillet, add the garlic, and cook until fragrant, less than a minute, then mix with the onion and celery. Add the tomatoes and cook until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Stir in the aniseseeds, thyme, marjoram, oregano, canela or cinnamon, 3⁄4 teaspoon salt, and 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for a minute or two. 

Stir in the chicken broth and prunes and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes to heat through. Scrape the mixture into the bowl with the croutons, add the cashews, and stir until well combined. Let cool before stuffing the turkey. 

To stuff and roast the turkey: Spread the tomatoes, celery, carrots, onions, and turkey neck in a large roasting pan and pour in the chicken broth. Remove the turkey from the bag. Stuff it with as much stuffing as will fit. Scrape any remaining stuffing into a bowl and set aside. Close the cavity by crossing the legs and tying them with butcher’s twine. Set a roasting rack over the vegetables and place the turkey breast side up on the rack. Tuck the wing tips under the turkey. Pour all the marinade remaining in the bag over the turkey.

Transfer the turkey to the oven and roast for 30 minutes. 

Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F, cover the turkey loosely with foil, and roast for about 31⁄2 to 4 hours longer, basting halfway through, until the temperature in the thickest part of a thigh reaches 165 degrees F. Remove the turkey from the oven and move the oven rack to the middle. Transfer the turkey, on the roasting rack, to a baking sheet, cover loosely with foil, and let rest while you prepare the remaining stuffing and the gravy. 

Strain the liquid in the roasting pan through a sieve set over a bowl, pressing on the solids with the back of a wooden spoon to get as much flavor as possible. Measure out 1 cup and pour that over the stuffing you set aside in the bowl. Mix well and spoon the stuffing into an oiled or buttered baking dish. Place in the oven and bake until it’s heated through and the top is lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour the remaining strained cooking liquid into a saucepan, bring to a simmer over medium heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until it has reduced by half, 15 to 20 minutes. 

Carve the turkey and serve with the stuffing (from inside the turkey and the baking dish). Serve the adobo sauce on the side.

Excerpted from PATI JINICH TREASURES OF THE MEXICAN TABLE: Classic Recipes, Local Secrets © 2021 by Pati Jinich. Photography © 2021 by Angie Mosier. Reproduced by permission of Mariner Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.

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