Haitian Turkey

[kirra]

Haitian Turkey
Rapheal Mateo

Ingredients:

8 cloves garlic, peeled
Salt to taste
8 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
8 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs oregano
1 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 4 lemons)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 20-pound brined or kosher turkey, trimmed of excess fat and skin, and rinsed; neck and giblets reserved
6 limes, halved
2 tablespoons adobo
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup ham, finely chopped
2 Scotch bonnet peppers, diced
8 sweet small peppers known as cachuchas or ajicitos dulces, or 1 large Cubanelle pepper, seeded and cut into 1/3-inch dice
1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup manzanilla olives with pimento, finely chopped
20 capers, finely chopped
1 bottle dry red wine
1 teaspoon ground achiote
6 ounces tomato paste
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups chicken stock or broth
1/2 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced.

Preparation:

To prepare for marinating the turkey, use large mortar and pestle or small food processor to mash or purée garlic with pinch of salt, 5 sprigs parsley, 5 sprigs thyme and oregano. Transfer to bowl. Add lemon juice, 1 tablespoon vinegar and 2 teaspoons water. Set aside.

Putting the Flavor Back in Turkey:
With long paring knife, make slits 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches deep about 1/2 inch apart all over turkey, including legs and wings. Widen slits with fingers or spoon.

Rub limes over turkey, squeezing out juice and massaging into the meat. Discard halves and excess juice.

Sprinkle turkey all over with adobo, and season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Strain the garlic-herb purée, reserving liquid. Place purée in a mixing bowl, and add chopped ham, Scotch bonnet peppers, sweet peppers, chopped onion, olives and capers. Mix well. To protect hands from being irritated while handling the hot pepper mixture, wear thin latex or rubber gloves.

Press large pinches of the hot pepper mixture into turkey slits. If any mixture remains after holes are filled, place it in cavity, along with reserved neck and giblets.

Place turkey in deep nonreactive pot, and pour reserved juice from garlic purée on top, massaging it in well. Pour wine over turkey, cover and refrigerate overnight.

To prepare for roasting turkey, set oven rack low. Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Reserve 3 cups of wine liquid, and set aside. Discard rest.

Into wine, stir achiote, tomato paste, remaining tablespoon vinegar, olive oil and chicken stock.

Place turkey in roasting pan along with sliced onion and red bell pepper and remaining parsley and thyme. Pour half the wine mixture over turkey. Reserve rest for basting.

Begin roasting turkey breast side up, basting every 15 minutes. Every 30 minutes for the first two hours, flip turkey, first breast side down, then breast up. After the first two hours leave breast side up, and continue roasting and basting 60 to 90 minutes longer. (Turkey is done when thickest part of breast registers 160 degrees on meat thermometer and thickest part of thigh registers 165 degrees.)

Remove from oven; cover with foil, and rest 20 minutes before carving.

Strain pan juices into small saucepan, skim off and discard fat and serve drippings as gravy. Yield: 12 servings.