Welcome to week 5 and the final week of my Amazing Autumn series! Autumn is my favorite season! I absolutely love how dreamy and beautiful everything becomes when the trees change to vibrant shades of reds, oranges and gold as they fall leisurely from the trees against a backdrop of clear blue skies. The weather gets cooler and the wind crisper. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving last Thursday! I posted a recipe for Spicy Roast Turkey last week, and as Thanksgiving drew near I decided to get even more adventurous. I made a Spicy Curry Roast Turkey which turned out to be absolutely delicious! I am sharing this new recipe with you this week, along with my mushroom, sage and fig turkey stuffing. Enjoy!
Spicy Curry Roast Turkey
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Total time: 4 hours
Ingredients (serves 8)
Turkey
1 whole turkey (12 lbs/5½ kg)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion onions (1 cup), diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ teaspoon allspice, ground
½ teaspoon nutmeg, ground
1 teaspoon coriander, ground
1 tablespoon curry powder, ground
1 tablespoon fresh or dried sage, chopped finely
1 tablespoon fresh or dried thyme, chopped finely
1 habanero pepper, chopped finely
2 cups chicken stock
Turkey stuffing
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion (1 cup), diced
2 cups mushrooms
2 tablespoon fresh or dried sage
8 oz corn bread crumps
½ cup dried figs
Method
Preheat oven to 325°F/163°C.
Make sure the neck and the innards to the turkey have been removed, then rinse the inside and outside of the turkey and pat dry.
In a bowl, mix the ingredients for the turkey: olive oil, onions, garlic, black pepper, allspice, nutmeg, coriander, curry powder, sage, thyme and habanero pepper.
Rub the inside and outside of the turkey with the marinade.
Heat the olive oil for the turkey stuffing a medium saucepan over medium heat, then heat the garlic for 1 minute.
Add the onions and mushrooms, then cook for 3 more minutes,
Next add the sage and cook for 2 minutes.
Next add the breadcrumbs and dried figs and mix, then remove from heat.
Stuff the inside of the turkey with the turkey stuffing.
Place the turkey breast side up in a roasting pan; pour 1 cup of chicken stock over the turkey, then cover with aluminum foil.
Roast the turkey for 2½ hours, checking it every 45 minutes. If the turkey is beginning to dry out, collect some juices from the roasting pan and pour over the turkey. Add more of the chicken stock if necessary. The goal is to have a moist and juicy turkey.
After 2½ hours, remove the foil and continue cooking the turkey for another 30–60 minutes or until the juices run clear (no blood) and the turkey is no longer pink on the inside. If you have a cooking thermometer, the temperature on the thickest part of the turkey, such as the thigh, should reach 180°F/82°C, and the stuffing should reach 160/71°C. Reaching this temperature is important for safe consumption of the turkey.
Once the turkey is fully cooked and the surface of the is a golden brown color, remove from heat and allow to stand for about 15 minutes before serving.
Tips: Roast the turkey for 15 minutes for every pound of turkey. The innards can be used to make stock for roasting the turkey, just steam them in a sauce pan over medium heat with 2 cloves garlic, ¼ onion, ¼ teaspoon allspice, black pepper, salt and 2 cups water for 15 minutes. Any marinade left over in the tray after the turkey is cooked can be used to make a gravy to accompany the turkey.
Serving suggestions: Serve the turkey while warm with side dishes such as mashed sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and mushroom sauce. You can also make extra turkey stuffing to serve on the side.
