The North American thanksgiving turkey recipe is the main dish of the Brazilian Christmas dinner, a real pleasure for the eyes and palate. It is decorated with fresh or canned fruit, it is brought to the table and then cut in front of the diners. The traditional side dish for this recipe are: “arroz de festa”, “farofa”, roast potatoes, “ameixa con bacon”, “purê de maçã” and the orange sauce to add flavor to meat.
Ingredients
• 4 – 6 kg turkey
• 2 litres table wine
• juice of 3 oranges
• juice of 2 lemons
• yellow mustard
• sage
• rosemary
• parsley
• mixed herbs
• salt and black pepper
• sliced onions
• crushed garlic
For orange sauce:
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• ½ teaspoon all-purpose flour
• juice of 2 oranges
• juice of ½ lemon
• 50 ml Gran Marnier
Preparation method
- Marinate the turkey with all condiments the night before.
- When it is ready to cook drain; remove the solids from the marinade to prevent them from burning when cooking; reserve the marinade.
- If you want you can fill the turkey with “farofa” prepared with turkey liver and heart. Sew the turkey up or use toothpicks to close the opening. Tie the turkey legs together and tuck the wing tips under the body. It is easier, however, to serve “farofa” separately.
- Brush the turkey with the butter, cover with aluminum foil and bake in hot oven. A large turkey takes around 45 minutes per kg to cook.
- When cooked remove the aluminum foil, sprinkle the marinade over and allow skin to brown.
- Garnish with canned syrup fruit or fresh fruit. Bring the whole turkey to the table and cut it in front of the dinners.
Preparation of orange sauce:
In a small saucepan caramelize the sugar with the vinegar. Dissolve the flour in the orange and lemon juice. Put the dissolved flour in the caramelized sugar and cook for 2 minutes stirring constantly. Add the Grand Marnier and allow to boil again. If you like, add a few slices of peeled orange.
Posted on: 05 December 2011
I’m an architect. I was born in Brazil and my father was Italian.