Recipe: Peruvian-spiced Christmas turkey
This is my version of the roasted turkey we had every Christmas back home. I used to marinate it with a pre-made spice mix, stout, and Coke (I know…). A while ago I tested a recipe for charcoal chicken and I thought “this tastes like Christmas turkey”, so I tweaked the recipe and the result was very damn close.
Peruvian-spiced Christmas turkey
This recipe requires brining the turkey for 24 hours, so plan ahead.
Ingredients
- 1 small turkey (~4 kg)
Brine
- 4 litres water
- 1 cup coarse rock salt
Marinade
- 1 tbsp rosemary
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp tamari
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup pisco substitute grappa or brandy
- 4 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp ají panca paste substitute any red chili paste
Roasting
- 3 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Prepare the brine by mixing the salt and water in a large container. Rinse the turkey, place it in the container making sure it's covered by the brine, and place in refrigerator for 24 hours.
- When ready to cook, preheat oven to 180°C.
- Mix the marinade ingredients in a blender or food processor.
- Rinse turkey and pat-dry. Rub with marinade and put it in a deep tray, breast side down.
- Top with dollops of butter and place in the oven. Cook for approximately 70 minutes, basting with the liquid every half an hour.
- Turn the turkey breast side up and cook for another 70 minutes, basting with the liquid every half an hour.
- Turn off oven, let turkey sit for 15 minutes or so. Then take it out and cover with foil. Let rest for 15 minutes before carving.
- Enjoy with applesauce and your favourite salad.
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4 Comments
john@heneedsfood
Yum, the ingredients in the marinade sound really good. You’ve reminded me I still haven’t opened a bottle of pisco I bought in Peru about 15 years ago. Not that it’ll ever go off!
lateraleating
Nope, it will never go off and it won’t last long once you open it 🙂
Shanshan Lam (@food_religion)
I love turkey! I dont think we eat enough of it during year but then when Christmas comes, we seem to do a mass overload hehehe
Christine (@cookingcrusade)
Wows this looks AMAZING and so super juicy. Thank you for sharing the recipe Gaby!