Fiesta Turkey with Chorizo and Cashew Stuffing

Method24 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Begin the adobo 1–2 days before serving. Put all the guajillo chiles, ancho chiles and eight peeled adobo garlic cloves in a medium saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, until the chiles and garlic are soft. Drain them, discarding this water, and transfer the solids to a blender.

   Soften the adobo chiles and garlic · 10 minUses 4 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded · 4 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded · 8 garlic cloves, peeled, for the adobo · Water to cover the adobo chiles and peeled garlic

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   Step 2: Add all the pineapple (4 cups), coarsely chopped adobo onion, dark brown sugar (½ cup), vinegar, adobo oregano, cinnamon (½ tsp), tablespoon of salt (1 tbsp) and ½ teaspoon of adobo pepper to the drained chiles and garlic. Blend until smooth.

   Uses All the softened chiles and garlic lifted from their simmering water · 4 cups fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and chopped · 1 cup coarsely chopped white onion for the adobo · ½ cup packed dark brown sugar · ¼ cup white vinegar · 1 tsp dried oregano for the adobo · ½ tsp ground cinnamon for the adobo · 1 tbsp kosher salt for the adobo

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   Step 3: Heat the tablespoon of adobo vegetable oil (1 tbsp) over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add all the purée and orange juice (2 cups), stir and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the adobo thickens and darkens.

   Simmer the pineapple-chile adobo · 15 minUses All the smooth adobo purée · 1 tbsp vegetable oil for the adobo · 2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice

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   Step 4: Stir in the 1 cup of adobo chicken broth. Cool the marinade promptly in a shallow container, then refrigerate until cold before putting it on the raw turkey. Get the marinade into the refrigerator within 2 hours; do not leave it sitting out while you prepare other stages.

   Uses All the thickened adobo · 1 cup ready chicken broth for the adobo

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   Step 5: Use a fully thawed turkey. Remove its giblets, reserve the neck and pat the bird dry without rinsing it. Put the turkey and neck in a food-grade brining bag supported by a large bowl, breast side down. Pour in all the cold adobo and massage it over the bird and into the cavity. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 12–48 hours, turning the bagged turkey a couple of times to redistribute the marinade. Keep the bird and juices contained away from ready-to-eat food.

   Marinate the turkey in the refrigerator · 720 minUses 1 raw whole turkey, 14–16 lb, giblets removed and neck reserved · All the cold prepared adobo

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   Step 6: On the roasting day, have all the stuffing and roasting vegetables chopped as listed before heating the skillet. Preheat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the middle. Brush a large baking sheet with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Toss all the diced brioche (8 cups) with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the extra crouton salt (to taste) and pepper to taste, then spread it evenly on the sheet.

   Uses 2 tbsp olive oil for the baking sheet and 2 tbsp for the bread · 8 cups brioche cut into ½-inch dice · Extra crouton salt to taste · Extra crouton black pepper to taste

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   Step 7: Bake the bread at 375°F for 5–6 minutes, checking from 5 minutes, then take out the sheet to turn the pieces.

   Check the first crouton bake · 5 minUses All the seasoned brioche and its prepared baking sheet

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   Step 8: Turn the bread pieces and bake at 375°F for another 5–6 minutes, checking from 5 minutes, until golden. Put all the croutons in a large bowl. Move the oven rack to the lowest position and raise the oven to 400°F for the turkey.

   Check the second crouton bake · 5 minUses All the part-baked brioche on its baking sheet

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   Step 9: Heat 2 tablespoons of the stuffing vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add all the fresh pork chorizo and break it apart while cooking for about 7–8 minutes, checking from 7 minutes, until browned and cooked through to at least 71°C / 160°F. Lift the cooked chorizo with a slotted spoon into the crouton bowl, leaving as much fat as possible in the skillet.

   Cook the fresh chorizo · 7 minUses First 2 tbsp of the stuffing vegetable oil · 1 lb fresh Mexican pork chorizo, casings removed and chopped · All the golden croutons in the bowl

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    Step 10: Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of stuffing vegetable oil to the retained skillet fat. Add all the finely chopped stuffing onion and celery (1 cup) and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened and just beginning to brown.

    Soften stuffing onion and celery · 5 minUses Retained skillet fat, separate from the cooked chorizo and croutons · Remaining 2 tbsp of stuffing vegetable oil · 2 cups finely chopped white onion for the stuffing · 1 cup finely chopped celery for the stuffing

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    Step 11: Clear a space in the centre of the skillet. Add the three finely chopped stuffing garlic cloves and cook for less than a minute, until fragrant, then mix them into the onion and celery.

    Uses All the softened stuffing vegetables and their skillet fat · 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped, for the stuffing

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    Step 12: Add all the finely chopped stuffing tomatoes (1 lb) and cook for about 2 minutes, until they begin to soften.

    Soften the stuffing tomatoes · 2 minUses All the cooked onion-celery-garlic mixture · 1 lb ripe tomatoes, finely chopped, for the stuffing

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    Step 13: Stir in all the anise seeds (½ tsp), stuffing thyme, marjoram, oregano, cinnamon (¼ tsp), ¾ teaspoon of stuffing salt and ½ teaspoon of stuffing pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 1–2 minutes, checking from 1 minute, until fragrant.

    Cook the stuffing seasonings · 1 minUses All the softened tomatoes and stuffing aromatics · ½ tsp anise seeds · ½ tsp dried thyme · ½ tsp dried marjoram · ½ tsp dried oregano for the stuffing · ¼ tsp ground cinnamon for the stuffing · ¾ tsp kosher salt for the stuffing · ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper for the stuffing

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    Step 14: Stir all 2 cups of stuffing chicken broth and the chopped prunes into the skillet mixture. Cook for about 2–3 minutes, checking from 2 minutes, until the mixture is hot throughout.

    Uses All the seasoned skillet mixture · 2 cups ready chicken broth for the stuffing · 1 cup pitted prunes, finely chopped

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    Step 15: Scrape the hot vegetable-prune mixture into the bowl of cooked chorizo and croutons. Add all the chopped cashews (1 cup) and mix evenly. Make this mixture immediately before stuffing and roasting the turkey; let it cool only briefly until it is comfortable to handle, then proceed without a prolonged room-temperature hold.

    Uses All the hot seasoned vegetable-prune mixture · All the cooked chorizo and croutons, separate from the retained skillet fat · 1 cup cashews, finely chopped

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    Step 16: Spread all the roasting tomatoes (1 lb), celery (4), carrots (3 medium) and onions, plus the marinated turkey neck, in a large roasting pan. Add the separate 2 cups of roasting chicken broth. Before touching the raw turkey, set aside the stuffing you expect to leave outside the bird in a clean covered bowl and refrigerate it promptly. Lift the turkey from the bag and fill its cavity loosely with as much of the remaining fresh stuffing as fits. Keep any additional excess separate from raw-turkey utensils and refrigerate it promptly while the bird roasts. Tie the legs together with butcher’s twine, set a roasting rack over the vegetables and put the turkey breast side up on it with the wing tips tucked under. Pour all the adobo left in the bag over the turkey. Put the stuffed bird into the hot oven immediately.

    Uses The whole marinated turkey lifted from its bag · The reserved marinated neck, separate from the bird and marinade · All the adobo remaining in the turkey bag · Stuffing to fill the turkey loosely, with clean excess reserved separately · 1 lb ripe tomatoes, chopped, for the roasting pan · 4 celery stalks, chopped, for the roasting pan · 3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped, for the roasting pan · 2 medium white onions, chopped, for the roasting pan

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    Step 17: Roast the stuffed turkey on the lowest rack at 400°F for 30 minutes.

    Roast the turkey at 400°F · 30 minUses The stuffed turkey, neck, roasting vegetables, broth and marinade, separate from the refrigerated extra stuffing

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    Step 18: Reduce the oven to 350°F and loosely cover the turkey with foil. The remaining roast takes about 3½–4 hours in total, with a baste around halfway through. Roast for the first 1¾–2 hours of this covered phase, checking from 1¾ hours, then baste as follows.

    Baste at the covered-roast midpoint · 105 minUses All the turkey and roasting pan from the first roast

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    Step 19: Carefully uncover the turkey briefly and baste it with its hot roasting-pan juices, then replace the loose foil. Continue roasting at 350°F for about another 1¾–2 hours, checking from 1¾ hours and continuing as needed. Use a thermometer, avoiding bone, to require at least 74°C / 165°F in the thickest breast, inner thigh, inner wing and centre of the cavity stuffing before removing the bird. Move the oven rack to the middle. Transfer the cooked turkey on its rack to a baking sheet, leaving the roasting liquid, vegetables and neck in the roasting pan.

    Check the finished turkey and stuffing · 105 minUses All the part-roasted turkey and its roasting pan

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    Step 20: Cover the cooked turkey loosely with foil and let it stand for at least 20 minutes before removing the cavity stuffing or carving. Prepare the extra stuffing and gravy during this rest.

    Rest the cooked stuffed turkey · 20 minUses The cooked bird and cavity stuffing on their rack, separate from the retained roasting liquid and vegetables

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    Step 21: Strain the roasting-pan liquid into a bowl through a sieve, pressing the cooked vegetables and neck to extract their juices. Discard the strained solids. Bring all the strained turkey-contact liquid to a full boil before using it for the extra stuffing or gravy; no boiling duration is required. Reserve exactly 1 cup for the extra stuffing and keep the remaining strained liquid for the gravy.

    Uses All the retained roasting-pan contents, separate from the cooked bird and cavity stuffing

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    Step 22: Mix the reserved 1 cup of boiled roasting liquid into the refrigerated extra stuffing. Grease a baking dish with the extra vegetable oil, spread the mixture in it and bake on the middle rack at 350°F for 20–25 minutes, checking from 20 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and the stuffing centre reaches 74°C / 165°F. Continue as needed to heat it fully.

    Check the extra stuffing bake · 20 minUses All the clean extra stuffing reserved outside the bird, actual amount unknown · Reserved 1 cup of the fully boiled strained roasting liquid · Extra vegetable oil to grease the stuffing baking dish

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    Step 23: Put the remaining boiled strained roasting liquid in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and simmer for about 15–20 minutes, checking from 15 minutes and stirring occasionally, until reduced to roughly half its starting volume to make the adobo gravy.

    Check the reducing adobo gravy · 15 minUses All the strained liquid remaining after the separate 1-cup stuffing draw

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    Step 24: After the turkey has rested for at least 20 minutes, remove all cavity stuffing and carve the bird. Serve the carved turkey with both the cavity stuffing and the separately baked stuffing, with adobo gravy on the side, for about ten portions. Refrigerate leftover carved meat and stuffing separately in shallow containers within 2 hours of cooking.

    Uses All the rested cooked turkey and safely cooked cavity stuffing · All the safely heated extra stuffing from the baking dish · The prepared reduced adobo gravy