Turkey Leg Confit Taco With Pasilla Purée And Pickled Peach Salsa Recipes

TURKEY LEG CONFIT WITH SHALLOTS AND THYME

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the salt and pepper. Place the turkey legs in a large re-sealable bag and add the salt mixture. Shake around to coat the legs evenly and then seal bag and place in fridge overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add 1/4 cup duck fat. Remove the turkey legs from the bag and brush off excess salt. Add the turkey legs to the pot and brown all over, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Add the garlic and shallots and cook until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the thyme, cloves, rosemary, star anise, fennel seeds, cinnamon, lemon peel and orange peel and then pour over the remaining duck fat so the legs are completely covered.
• Bring to a gentle simmer (without boiling or frying), then remove from the heat, cover and place into the oven. Cook until the meat starts to fall off the bone, about 3 hours.
• Place the legs on a baking sheet. Shred the meat and serve. Reserve the fat and use it to cook gravy, French fries or roasted potatoes. If making ahead of time, remove the pot from the oven and set aside to allow the turkey to cool in the fat. Once cooled, place in the refrigerator overnight to completely chill. To serve, remove the turkey from the fat and crisp in a dry pan to heat through.

TURKEY LEG CONFIT TACO WITH PASILLA PURéE AND PICKLED PEACH SALSA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300°F. Melt the lard in a 5-quart pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sugar and salt and stir until dissolved. Add the turkey and place in oven. Turn turkey pieces every 30 minutes and cook until turkey is tender and a paring knife can easily be inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. Carefully remove the skin from turkey pieces and reserve. Shred the meat and reserve.
• Bring the vinegar, sugar, salt, and 1 cup water to a boil and stir until dissolved. Place peaches, mustard seeds, and thyme in a heatproof glass container and pour vinegar mixture over. Let sit until mixture comes to room temperature, then refrigerate 1 hour.
• Dice the chilled peaches and combine with the onion, cilantro, lemon, olive oil, and salt. Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Toast the chiles in a dry skillet over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant. Let cool and remove stems and seeds. Bring 1 cup water to a boil and pour over chiles. Steep until tender, about 5 minutes. Purée the chiles, water, garlic, onion, sugar, and salt in a blender until smooth, adding more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if necessary. Taste and adjust seasoning. Purée can be made 1 day in advance.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, fry the reserved turkey skin in the oil until crisp and golden brown. Remove and chop. Warm the shredded meat and toss with the skin.
• Warm the tortillas. Spread a spoonful of pasilla purée on each tortilla. Divide the turkey meat and skin between the tortillas and top with peach salsa and diced avocado.

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.