Chile Rubbed Thanksgiving Roast Turkey Recipes

PASILLA CHILE-RUBBED TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Wrap the garlic in foil and roast on a baking sheet until tender, about 40 minutes. Let cool, then unwrap and squeeze out 20 garlic cloves onto a plate (reserve the rest for another use). Reduce the oven temperature to 350˚ F.
• Place the pasilla chiles on a baking sheet. Roast until fragrant and a bit softened, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover with water and soak until further softened, 10 to 15 minutes; drain. Discard the stems, then seed the chiles, if desired.
• Transfer the chiles to a blender with the garlic, tomatoes, chopped onions, agave, 3 tablespoons salt, the olive oil and mustard; puree. Transfer to a bowl; fold in the cilantro.
• Spread the chile paste all over the turkey. Loosen the skin on the breast and drumsticks; spread some paste underneath.
• Put the turkey breast-side up in a roasting pan; stuff the quartered onion, carrots and celery in the cavity, then tie the legs together with twine. Roast, basting with the pan juices and rotating the pan halfway through, until a thermometer inserted into the breast registers 165˚ F, about 3 hours. Tent with foil if the turkey gets too dark; add some stock or water to the pan to keep the drippings from burning. Let rest 30 minutes before carving.

ANCHO-RUBBED TURKEY

Steps:

• Cook the ancho chiles, sesame seeds and cumin seeds in a small dry skillet over medium heat, stirring, until the seeds are toasted and the anchos are pliable, 3 minutes. Transfer the anchos to a bowl; transfer the seeds to a food processor. Cover the anchos with hot water and let soften, 5 to 10 minutes; drain, then remove the stems and seeds. Add the anchos to the food processor. Add the Fresno chile, garlic, scallions, parsley and cilantro leaves, olive oil, raisins and 1 tablespoon salt to the food processor. Pulse to make a paste.
• Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey; set aside for the gravy. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Work your fingers between the skin and the meat on the breast and the top of the legs. Rub the chile paste under the skin and on the outside. Stuff the parsley and cilantro stems into the cavity. Season inside and out with 1 tablespoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Put the turkey on a rack set in a large roasting pan; tuck the wings under the body. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
• Position an oven rack in the lowest position (remove the other racks); preheat to 350 degrees F. Uncover the turkey and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Roast until a thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165 degrees F, 2 1/2 to 3 hours, tenting any parts that brown too quickly with foil. Meanwhile, start your gravy (or serve this turkey with defatted pan drippings).
• Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and let rest 30 minutes before carving. Serve with the gravy or pan drippings.

CHILE-RUBBED THANKSGIVING ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Using kitchen shears, cut open guajillo and ancho chiles along one side; place seeds in large bowl; set aside. Open chiles and place flat in a large dry skillet over medium heat. Cook, turning once, until lightly puffed and toasted, about 4 minutes. Add chiles de árbol and cumin seeds; toast until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to bowl with chile seeds, add 4 cups boiling water, and let soak until softened, about 10 minutes.
• Purée chile mixture with soaking liquid, onion, and garlic in a blender.
• Combine beer, brown sugar, 1 bunch oregano, 1 cup salt, 3 cups chile paste, and 8 cups water in a very large stock pot. Add turkey, cover, and chill at least 12 hours and up to 14 hours.
• Remove turkey from brine; pat dry. Place, breast side up, on a rack set in a large roasting pan. Mix remaining 2 1/2 teaspoon salt into remaining 1 1/2 cups chile paste. Working from neck end of turkey, gently loosen skin from breasts and rub under skin and all over outside of bird. Chill turkey at least 8 hours and up to 12 hours.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Stuff turkey with onion, garlic, and remaining bunch of oregano; tie legs together with kitchen twine. Add broth and 2 cups water to pan and roast turkey 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F and roast, basting every 30-40 minutes with melted butter, adding more broth or water as needed to maintain some liquid in pan, and tenting with foil if turkey browns too quickly, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165°F, 2 1/2-3 hours longer.
• Transfer turkey to a platter; tent with foil. Let rest at least 30 minutes before carving.
• Meanwhile, strain pan drippings into a measuring cup. Let sit 30 minutes, then skim fat from surface. Bring to a boil in a medium saucepan; reduce heat and simmer until reduced to 1 cup. Stir in lime juice.
• Garnish turkey as desired and serve with pan sauce alongside.

SOUTHWESTERN TURKEY WITH GARLIC-ANCHO CHILI PASTE AND GRAVY

Steps:

• For paste:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Separate heads of garlic into individual cloves (do not peel). Pierce each clove once with toothpick. Scatter garlic on baking sheet; roast until tender and beginning to brown, about 25 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Peel garlic, cutting hard tip off each clove. Pack enough garlic into 1/2-cup measuring cup to fill (about 40 cloves); reserve any remaining garlic. Blend 1/2 cup garlic in processor to form course puree.
• Meanwhile, place chilies in small saucepan. Add enough water just to cover. Simmer over medium-low heat until chilies are soft and most of water evaporates, about 15 minutes. Add chili mixture, oil, cumin, and honey to garlic in processor. Puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover paste and garlic; chill.)
• For turkey:
• Pat turkey dry. Season with salt and pepper. Slide hand under skin of turkey breast to loosen skin. Spread 1/2 cup garlic-paste over breast under skin. If stuffing turkey, spoon stuffing into main cavity. Rub 2 tablespoons paste all over outside of turkey. Reserve remaining paste for gravy. Tie legs together loosely to hold shape of turkey. Place on rack set in roasting pan. (Can be done 1 day ahead if turkey is not stuffed. Chill turkey and paste separately.)
• Position rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 325°F. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add neck and giblets, turkey neck pieces and onion; sauté brown, about 15 minutes. Place contents of skillet around turkey in pan. Add celery, tomato, allspice and any reserved garlic to pan; pour in 2 cups broth. Roast turkey 1 hour 30 minutes. Tent turkey and entire pan loosely with heavy-duty foil. Continue to roast turkey until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180°F. or until juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced with skewer, basting often with pan juices and 3 cups broth, about 1 hour 40 minutes longer for unstuffed turkey (about 2 hours 25 minutes longer for stuffed turkey). Place turkey on platter. Tent with foil; let stand at least 30 minutes. Reserve mixture in pan for gravy.
• For gravy:
• Using tongs, remove turkey parts from pan; discard. Pour mixture in pan into sieve set over large bowl. Press on solids in sieve to release liquid. Spoon fat from pan juices; add enough broth to juices to measure 6 cups.
• Stir 1/2 cup reserved garlic-chili paste in heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until liquefied. Add flour and stir 1 minute (mixture will be very thick). Gradually add 6 cups broth mixture, whisking until smooth. Simmer until reduced to 4 1/2 cups, about 20 minutes. Season with cayenne, salt and pepper.
• Serve turkey with gravy.

ROAST TURKEY RUBBED WITH ACHIOTE-CHIPOTLE BUTTER

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. For the butter mixture, place chipotles and garlic in the food processor; process to a paste. Add the achiote paste, thyme, sage and orange zest; process until combined. Add the butter gradually, pulsing until smooth.
• Rub the bird inside and out with the salt; rub with the butter mixture, working some of the butter between the skin and the breast as well. Place the garlic, onions, orange halves, carrot, celery, thyme, sage and bay leaves inside the turkey cavity. Tie the turkey legs together with butcher's twine.
• Place the bird on a rack in a large roasting pan. Pour enough of the broth into the pan to cover the bottom of the pan by about ½ inch.
• Roast 30 minutes; reduce heat to 350 degrees. Cook, basting the bird with broth every 30 minutes, adding more broth to the pan as needed. Cook until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165 degrees, about 2½ hours. Transfer turkey to a cutting board; set aside, loosely covered with foil, 30 minutes.
• For the gravy, skim off the fat from the pan drippings; pour fat into a large skillet. Reserve pan drippings in the roasting pan. Heat the fat over medium heat; slowly whisk in flour, whisking until mixture begins to brown and thicken, about 10 minutes. Slowly whisk in all but { cup of the remaining broth.
• Heat mixture to a simmer over medium heat; slowly whisk this mixture into the reserved drippings in the roasting pan; heat. (If the gravy is too thick, add the reserved broth until you reach the desired consistency.) Carve turkey; serve with gravy.
• Note: Achiote paste, made from annatto seeds, is available in Latin American markets.

SPICE RUB ROASTED THANKSGIVING TURKEY

Steps:

• Combine garlic powder, paprika, cumin, basil, salt, and pepper in a zip-top bag. Close and shake spice rub until well mixed.
• Cut small slits into the skin of the turkey. Use a palmful of spice rub at a time to rub all over turkey-on top, sides, bottom, inside cavity, and into the slits in the skin. Stuff the cavity with cilantro, onion, and garlic. Place in a roasting pan, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for 12 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Remove turkey from the refrigerator. Baste with melted butter. Pour 1/2 of the chicken broth inside the pan. Cover with foil.
• Roast in the preheated oven, for 3 hours. Remove foil and baste with remaining chicken broth. Continue to roast until turkey is no longer pink and the juices run clear, about 2 1/2 hours longer. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C).