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Entree
American/Mexican
8 servings
25 hours
4 hours 5 minutes
Savor bold flavors with Oaxaca brined roasted turkey, paired with Italian herb polenta stuffing for a unique, delicious holiday or dinner centerpiece.
4 packages Dried Oaxaca Peppers – divided use
1 cup Kosher Salt
1 cup Brown Sugar
6 Limes – quartered
4 Blood Oranges – quartered
2 gallons Water
12-14 pound Young Turkey
1 stick Unsalted Butter - softened
1 (49 ½ oz.) can Turkey or Chicken Broth
4 sprigs Fresh Rosemary
8 sprigs Fresh Thyme
2 (1 pound) chubs Melissa’s Organic Italian Herb Polenta
3 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1 Celery Root – peeled; diced small
1 Melissa’s Perfect Sweet Onion – diced small
3 cloves Melissa’s Peeled Garlic - minced
2 (3 ounce) packages Melissa’s Dried Apricots - chopped
To prep the turkey for the brine, remove the neck and giblets. These can be used to make gravy if you would like. Rinse the turkey with cold water and place in a large pan lined with a large plastic bag.
For the brine: Remove the stems and seeds from the chiles. Place the peppers in a spice grinder and process until finely ground. Place half of the ground chile in a large mixing bowl and add the rest of the brine ingredients, squeezing the juice from the limes and oranges into the bowl. Be sure to add the lime and orange quarters to the bowl. Mix well and add to the turkey. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 24 hours, agitating the brine every so often.
Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
Once brined, rinse the turkey under cold water.
Combine the butter and the rest of the ground peppers and smear it under the skin and on the outside of the turkey.
Place the turkey, breast side down, on a rack and place it into a roasting pan. Pour the broth into the pan and add the rosemary and thyme.
Stuff the lime and orange wedges, from the brine, into the cavity of the turkey. Place any extra wedges around the turkey.
Roast the turkey for 3 ½ - 4 hours or until a meat thermometer inserted into the breast reads 165ºF, turning the turkey breast side up for the final 30 minutes of cooking time. Remove the turkey from the oven and let rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.
While the turkey cooks, prepare the stuffing.
Cut the polenta into cubes and set aside.
In a sauté pan, melt the butter and add the celery root, onion, garlic and apricots. Sauté until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Next, add the polenta, stirring occasionally, and sauté until heated through, about 10 minutes. Serve with the turkey.
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