Welcome to my blog.  Let’s launch this with something seasonal and unique.  For several years, I’ve obsessed about a 25+ year old recipe from the New York Times food section  – Portuguese Turkey.  This recipe puts Turducken and deep fried turkey in the shade. For my German-English-Welsh-Scottish family, this piquant, Mediterranean adaptation has been a Thanksgiving revelation.  I summarize this recipe for your delight!

The Times (which got this recipe from an obviously skilled Portuguese woman in New Jersey) says to use two 12-pound turkeys but I have found that one, slightly larger turkey works fine unless you’re feeding an exceptionally large group.  Smaller turkeys absorb the seasonings better, so don't use a turkey larger than 14-15 lbs.   A Portuguese or international food store (I found one in Arlington, VA) is critical because some ingredients (Portuguese bread and sausage) will otherwise be hard to find.  First, brine the turkey for 24 hours; then immerse it in dry white wine (two large bottles – cheap) for another day -- the longer the better.   In the wine, combine 8 large garlic cloves, 4 bay leaves, salt,  2 tbls sweet paprika, 2 tbls of hot sauce (Vietnamese hot sauce is best but Chirashi will do), and 2 tbls of fresh oregano. Turn occasionally.  Reserve most of the marinade – you will need it.

Preheat the oven to 450 degree.   You will pack the bird loosely with the following stuffing (below) – the stuffing is just magical.  There will be lots left over to bake in a casserole.

Bring 1 quart of water and 1quart of milk to a boil. Reduce heat and put in 1 loaf of Portuguese cornmeal bread (remove crusts if tough) and 6 Italian rolls, torn or cut into small pieces  Let cool for 20-30 minutes, add 1 tbl of oil,  and work with your hands and or a food processor until doughy. Meantime, take one large chourico sausage (Portuguese, not Mexican – linguisa will do), boil it in water for 3-4 minutes, remove the casing and chop it up. In a large skillet, saute 2 finely chopped  onions in 4 tbls of hot oil and 2 tbls of paprika,. Add the sausage, 1 cup of chopped parsley, ½ lb of chopped Portuguese green and black pitted olives, 1 tbls of tomato paste, 1 tsp hot sauce, and white pepper to taste.  Fold in the bread mixture and add 6 egg yolks. Season with salt and 4 more tbls of hot oil.  Once cool, the stuffing is ready to use.

Bake the turkey for 30 minutes at 450 and then turn the oven down to 350. Another 2 ½ hours should do it but all ovens are different.  The bird should be on a rack and beneath it, add 1 or 2 inches of the wine marinade.   Baste occasionally with the drippings and marinade.   The gravy is fantastic; use 1 tbls of flour for every 2 cups of drippings and juice it up with fresh lemon juice.  Start with a roux and build it from there.  The recipe suggests garlicy potatoes and Portuguese  sausages as accompaniments but that’s up to you.  But I do recommend a spicey gravy with extra  lemon and hot sauce. Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving.