Stuffed Turkey

Ingredients

For the filling:

½ Cup corn oil
½ Cup ghee
4 Cinnamon sticks
2 Tbs fennel seeds
1 Lime, sliced
1 Cup pine nuts
2 Cups cranberries (soaked in warm water) or raisins
2 Tbs lemon juice
1 Cup water (or orange juice)
2 Cups coconut, grated
2 Cups grated coconut
2 Cups fresh mint leaves, chopped
3 Cups pre-cooked basmati rice

For the turkey:

1 Whole turkey (5 - 6 Kilos)
2 Yogurts
2 Tbs Masala spices:
(Cinnamon, Cloves, Cumin/coriander, Cardamon, Nutmeg)
1 Tbs fresh ginger, chopped
2 Tbs red pepper powder
1 tsp crushed chili
3 Tbs corn oil
1 Onion, diced
¼ Cup Celery, diced
¼ Cup of carrots, diced
4 Garlic cloves
1 Tbs butter

Method

For the filling:

- Heat oil and butter in a saucepan over medium heat, then add the cinnamon, fennel, slices of lime and the pine nuts, stir.
- Add Cranberries, lemon juice, water (or orange juice), then stir in grated coconut.
- Reduce heat, leave the mixture for 10 minutes, then add fresh mint and stir for 1 minute.
- Finally, add the pre-cooked rice while stirring well, season the filling with salt and pepper, leave aside to cool (tip: do not overcook so the color of the mint won’t be dark)

For the Turkey:

- Wash the turkey thoroughly, dissolve 1 ½ cup of salt in enough water to cover the turkey for 2 hours, then rinse and dry.
- Blend yogurt with the Masala spices, red pepper, chili and oil until the mixture is well combined.
- Lift up the skin of the turkey from the neck side so that half of the mixture is between the skin and the meat.
- Season the inside of the turkey with 1/4 of the mixture.
- Stuff the turkey with the cooled rice mixture and tie the legs so the filling remains inside.
- Spread onion, celery, carrots and garlic in a roasting pan, put the turkey on top of the vegetables.
- Brush the turkey with butter; add a little amount of water on one side of the pan.
- Bake in preheated oven (180 degrees) or according to weight (40 minutes for each kilo)
- Brush turkey with dripping from time to time; cover with aluminum foil for the first half of the cooking time.
- Remove turkey from pan; cool for 10 minutes.
- Serve it with the stuffed rice.