Christmas turkey with chestnuts
8 servings
210 minutes
Recipe from Vladimir Khokhlov, chef of Villa della pasta on Bolshaya Dmitrovka.
1
Prepare the marinade. Place a large pot with 7 liters of water on the stove (enough for the turkey to fit whole). Separately heat spices (cloves, coriander, pink pepper, thyme, allspice) in a pan to release their aroma. Add the spices to the water along with chopped orange pieces, 6 crushed garlic cloves, salt (40 g), and sugar (20 g), bring to a boil and cool to room temperature. Submerge the turkey in the marinade whole, cover it and let it marinate in the fridge for 1-3 days. Then remove the turkey from the marinade and dry it off.
- Turkey: 1 piece
- Carnation: 7 pieces
- Coriander seeds: 5 g
- Pink pepper: 5 g
- Thyme: 4 sprigs
- Oranges: 2 pieces
- Allspice peas: 10 g
- Garlic: 2 heads
- Sugar: 20 g
- Salt: to taste
- Salt: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste
2
Prepare aromatic butter. Add finely chopped parsley (set aside a little parsley), mint, grated lemon zest, nutmeg, paprika, salt, and pepper to softened butter. Mix until smooth and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
- Butter: 500 g
- Parsley leaves: 7 g
- Mint: 4 g
- Lemon zest: to taste
- Nutmeg: 1 g
- Smoked paprika: 3 g
- Salt: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste
3
Carefully separate the turkey skin from the meat around the breast with your hands. Insert your palm under the skin and gently separate it as deeply as possible without tearing it. Place aromatic butter under the turkey skin. Rub the remaining butter on the outside of the turkey. Put the turkey in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Butter: 500 g
4
Prepare the filling for the turkey. Cut the red onion (leave one onion aside) into large cubes and chop the garlic (4 cloves). Roast the chestnuts in vegetable oil until golden brown, add the red onion and sauté until half-cooked for 5 minutes. Then add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Add vinegar and evaporate. Finally, add chopped parsley and sriracha sauce, season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
- Red onion: 400 g
- Garlic: 2 heads
- Peeled chestnuts: 1 kg
- Sriracha: 10 ml
- Balsamic vinegar: 40 ml
- Parsley leaves: 7 g
- Salt: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste
5
Stuff the turkey with the prepared mixture, not too tightly. Secure the incision with skewers and sew it with thread.
6
Place the sliced red onion in a suitably sized baking dish. Add the sliced orange, remaining thyme, and 2-3 crushed garlic cloves. On top of the vegetable bed, place the turkey and carefully tuck the wings behind its back.
- Red onion: 400 g
- Oranges: 2 pieces
- Thyme: 4 sprigs
- Garlic: 2 heads
7
Pour 200 ml of orange juice into the tray, cover the bird with foil. Bake in a preheated oven at 160 degrees for 2 hours on the middle rack.
- Freshly squeezed orange juice: 500 ml
8
Prepare the glaze. Melt sugar in a pan until light caramel state. Pour in 300 ml of freshly squeezed orange juice through a fine sieve and bring to a boil. Skim off the foam, add soy sauce and thinly sliced ginger root. Reduce the sauce while stirring for 15-20 minutes. Let cool and strain.
- Sugar: 20 g
- Freshly squeezed orange juice: 500 ml
- Soy sauce: 20 ml
- Fresh ginger root: 30 g
9
After 2 hours, take out the turkey, remove the foil, and brush the bird with vegetable oil. Increase the oven temperature to 170 degrees and return the turkey for another hour.
10
Take out the turkey, brush it with glaze, increase the temperature to 180 degrees, and return the turkey to the oven for another 30 minutes. During these half hours, brush the bird with glaze every 10 minutes.
11
Let the cooked turkey rest for 20-30 minutes before serving.