Norman
Van Aken
Executive Chef/Owner, Norman's
Coral Gables, FL
Turkey Tips
I marinate our turkey in a spice-fragrant mojo (sour orange vinaigrette)
for 3 or 4 days before roasting it. We get heavy-duty garbage bags and
"double bag" the big bird and set it in a huge bowl. We pour
the mojo over it and then tie the bags up tightly. Every day we just
roll the bird around to re-distribute the marinade. On Thanksgiving
morning that bird is nearly drunk!
The aroma of the mojo as it cooks into the bird creates an impact mere
buttered birds could never match. Sometimes we stuff the bird with breadcrumbs
and homemade Chorizo sausage stuffing, however the recipe for stuffing
"Havana" is a delicious alternative with lots of fresh
herbs and nuts. The recipe for the Mojo is on our Web site: www.normans.com
In order to insure that the white and dark meat cook evenly, first
roast the bird breast-side down and then turn the bird breast-side up
half way through your cooking time.
Let's face it; turkey really tastes best on sandwiches the day after
Thanksgiving. Bearing that in mind, I also cook a big ham, and some
years I roast a dozen or so quails, (which are more succulent than turkeys
when first cooked). That way we still have plenty of turkey left over
for the long weekend Thanksgiving kicks off.
