With Thanksgiving coming up, are you thinking about how you will cook your turkey? Will you make it traditionally by placing it in a brine overnight or more unconventional by deep-frying it? No matter where you are in the world, you will find each country has its own way of making a turkey. There’s one thing that they all have in common: they take their turkey making very seriously by utilizing a lot of time, dedication, and of course, seasoning.
Peru
In Peru, you can’t just pop a turkey in the oven without thoroughly seasoning it first. You’ll need a whole host of ingredients including smoked paprika, lemon zest, lemon juice, duck fat, cumin powder, and oregano. It is often cooked over charcoal & served with large french fries. The end result is a delectable bird that is moist & full of flavor. The dish is called pavo a la brasa. To add to the main course, serve it with empanadas and ceviche.
Asia
If spicy turkeys aren’t your thing, then stay away from this one. The Asians really know how to rev up their taste buds when making a turkey. They spice it up with Sriracha chili sauce, fresh and ground ginger, lemongrass, and mayonnaise. This turkey is perfect for those that are feeling a little more adventurous.
Greece
How the Greeks make turkey is fairly straight to the point. They don’t need a lot of spices and seasonings because of the way they prepare it. In this country, they season it with Greek oregano, coriander seed, garlic, thyme, and a lot of olive oil. Then they spit-roasted over a wood or charcoal wood fire for 3-4 hours. The end result is a turkey with a smoky flavor. The only drawback about making a turkey this way is that it has to be basted about every ten minutes to keep it from drying out.
Italy
In Italy, they roast their turkey in the oven with a delicious stuffing. The stuffing usually has both mild & hot Italian sausage, mushrooms, carrots, celery, onions, romano, and Parmigiano cheese, risotto, breadcrumbs, and lots of fresh herbs including parsley, rosemary, sage, oregano, and thyme. This is all mixed with olive oil, butter, chicken broth, dry white wine and an apple. This sounds delicious! Browse Italy tours 2021.
Mexico
Known as one of Mexico’s national dishes….turkey with mole sauce is popular for weddings, birthdays & baptisms. A mole poblano sauce (dark red/brown) is made with chili peppers, usually ancho, pasilla, mulato or chipotle with chocolate to give the sauce a rich color. A Southwest version of this in the U.S. is a turkey stuffed with cornbread, chorizo & poblano chiles.
United Kingdom
The British normally have a big turkey around Christmas. It is roasted in the oven surrounded by winter vegetables such as parsnips, turnips, potato, celery root, shallots and Brussel sprouts.
New Orleans
This list wouldn’t be complete without including New Orleans. This city is known for its love of Cajun so it’s not surprising that one of their favorite ways to make a turkey is Cajun style. The key to making this turkey is to use Cajun spices on both the inside and the outside of the bird. It then needs to sit in the refrigerator overnight to really infuse the flavor. After it’s cooked you are left with a spicy bird that will leave you wanting more, despite the fact that your taste buds will surely be on fire.
What’s your favorite way to prepare a turkey?
