“Don’t underestimate the ability of a simple turkey to wow a crowd! The dried chiles in this recipe are more smoky than spicy, giving the turkey an intense, deep flavor. A fragrant paste of sweet agave nectar, roasted garlic and fresh cilantro turns the skin a wonderful shade of brown,” says Jerome.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 4 hr 30 min |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 10 servings |
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 4 hr 30 min |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 10 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 heads garlic, tops trimmed
- 6 dried pasilla chile peppers
- 2 vine-ripened tomatoes, quartered
- 2 onions (1 chopped, 1 quartered)
- 1 cup agave nectar
- Kosher salt
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 12-pound organic turkey, patted dry (neck and giblets removed)
- 1/2 cup chopped carrots
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- Chicken stock or water, as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Wrap the garlic in foil and roast on a baking sheet until tender, about 40 minutes. Let cool, then unwrap and squeeze out 20 garlic cloves onto a plate (reserve the rest for another use). Reduce the oven temperature to 350˚ F.
- Place the pasilla chiles on a baking sheet. Roast until fragrant and a bit softened, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover with water and soak until further softened, 10 to 15 minutes; drain. Discard the stems, then seed the chiles, if desired.
- Transfer the chiles to a blender with the garlic, tomatoes, chopped onions, agave, 3 tablespoons salt, the olive oil and mustard; puree. Transfer to a bowl; fold in the cilantro.
- Spread the chile paste all over the turkey. Loosen the skin on the breast and drumsticks; spread some paste underneath.
- Put the turkey breast-side up in a roasting pan; stuff the quartered onion, carrots and celery in the cavity, then tie the legs together with twine. Roast, basting with the pan juices and rotating the pan halfway through, until a thermometer inserted into the breast registers 165˚ F, about 3 hours. Tent with foil if the turkey gets too dark; add some stock or water to the pan to keep the drippings from burning. Let rest 30 minutes before carving.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 10 servings |
| Calories | 794 |
| Total Fat | 29 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 41 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 30 g |
| Protein | 89 g |
| Cholesterol | 282 mg |
| Sodium | 1917 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 10 servings |
| Calories | 794 |
| Total Fat | 29 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 41 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 30 g |
| Protein | 89 g |
| Cholesterol | 282 mg |
| Sodium | 1917 mg |