Shanna's Cuban Whole Turkey
1 12 lb turkey; preferably (12
- to
14)
fresh
Salt & fresh
ground pepper
8 tb Unsalted butter
----------------------------MARINADE----------------------------------
1 Head garlic; break in
1 cloves and peel
1 tb Salt
1 ts Fresh ground pepper
1 1/2 ts Ground cumin
2 ts Dried oregano
1 c Lime juice -=OR=- sour;
-orange juice
Instructions
The day before, remove the giblets and any lumps of fat from the turkey
cavities. Wash the turkey well and blot dry. Season the inside with salt
and pepper. Loosen the turkey skin from the meat. To do so, start at the
neck and tunnel your fingers, then whole hand, under the skin to separate
the skin from the breast meat. Slide your hand down to loosen the skin
over the thighs, drumsticksm and back. Work carefully so as not to tear
the skin. Prepare the marinade. Mash the garlic and salt to a paste in a
mortar with a pestle. Pound in the pepper, cumin, and oregano and last of
all the lime juice or sour orange juice. If you do not have a mortar and
pestle, puree the ingredients in a blender. Add 3 tbls marinade to the
main cavity and 1 tbls to the neck cavity. Place the remaining marinade
under the skin. Work over a roasting pan to catch any runoff from the
marinade. Place the bird in a large plastic bag with any excess marinade.
Marinate the turkey overnight in the refrigerator, turning several times.
Preheat the oven to 300~. Thinly slice the butter and place half of the
slices under the skin. Melt remaining butter. Truss the turkey and place
it, breast side up, on a rack in a roasting pan. Brush the skin of the
bird with some melted butter. Loosely drape a large piece of cheesecloth
over the skin, then pour the remaining butter and marinade over the
cheesecloth. Roast the bird for 2 hours. Baste with the juices and melted
butter that collect in the pan. Lift the cheesecloth from time to time to
keep it from sticking to the bird. Increase oven temperature to 350~ and
roast for 1 hour. Increase the heat to 400~ and remove the cheesecloth
from the turkey. Roast 15-20 minutes, basting frequently. When cooked, the
skin will be golden and the leg juices will run clear when pricked with a
fork. The internal temperature should be 185~ on an instant-read
thermometer and the drumstick should feel loose when wiggled. Transfer the
turley to a platter or cutting board. Let stand for 15 minutes before
carving. Strain the pan juices and serve in a sauceboat on the side.
NOTE: Sour orange is a bumpy green-orange fruit that looks like an orange
but tastes like a lime. Limes are often used in their place.