Although Thanksgiving was not always a traditional holiday on the island, many Puerto Rican families who call the United States home began to celebrate it by adding a touch of Sabor Latino. A traditional Puerto Rican Thanksgiving menu will likely consist of Pavochon, Stuffed Mofongo, Arroz con Gandules (rice with pigeon peas), Tostones, and Tembleque or dulce de leche. I serve a green bean casserole with my meal and as an appetizer I fry some plantains versus the tostones. I season mine with garlic, black pepper and salt and serve them with Mojo Criollo.
I’m usually cooking enough food to feed at least five Marines, so I buy a 12-15 pound turkey and call it a day. My mom always taught me to start my turkey the day before Thanksgiving so my seasonings have time to soak into that bird.
Two days or one day before:
To slowly thaw your bird, you can put it in the refrigerator two days in advance or to quickly thaw it in its wrapper (DO NOT remove the wrapper) in your bathtub or deep sink with cold water. Make sure the entire bird is submerged. The larger the bird, the longer it will take to thaw. A large turkey like the ones I cook usually takes 2 days to thaw in the fridge.
The day before:
Season your bird with Adobo, inside and out. Be generous. Your guests will appreciate it. Nobody wants a soft turkey. Gather the black pepper, garlic salt, oregano, and paprika and rub them all over the bird. Poke holes in your bird with a fork so the seasonings penetrate the skin. Put the bird back in the fridge.
THANKSGIVING MORNING:
I usually start cooking my bird around 4 am, which only leaves me room to do other things, like bring out the tree and decorations, and prepare other dishes. Start by preparing your mofongo filling.
Stuffed with Mofongo.
You will need to:
6 large green bananas,
1/3 cup chicken broth
4 teaspoons minced garlic
1 pound of bacon chopped into small pieces and cooked. Throw away the fat.
3 sweet chilies, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
Mix the bacon, garlic, peppers and olive oil. Crush the banana and olive oil mixture in your mortar. Repeat until all ingredients are gone. Mix the mofongo and broth and if the mofongo is not moist enough, add more broth. Fill the bird with the mofongo and cook. and follow the instructions that came with your bird.
NOW FOR THE BIRD:
Heat your oven to 375º.
Rinse turkey well. Rinse the interior once the bag is removed from the turkey cavity. Be sure to bag your turkey BEFORE you start cooking it! Very important!
Place the bird in a deep, sturdy aluminum or tin spit. cover it first with aluminum foil.
Place pieces of butter on top and around the turkey. Place a whole stick of butter inside the cavity of the turkey. Be generous. You will have a juicy turkey at the end.
Now start stuffing your turkey with the mofongo. If you’re a novice cook, skip the mofongo and simply scoop out Stove Top Stuffing and follow the directions on the box. It’s okay. We are all beginners at the same time.
Cover the turkey with aluminum foil and put it in the oven.
TURKEY SIZE AND COOKING TIME:
4 to 6 pounds of turkey = 3 to 3 ¾ hours.
6 to 8 pounds of turkey = 3 ¾ to 4 ½ hours.
8 to 12 pounds of turkey = 4 to 5 hours.
12 pounds and over = 5½ to 6 hours.
Always be sure to read the side of the turkey wrapper for exact cook time. It is better to be safe than raw. Yuck! About 45 minutes before the bird is done, remove the foil from the top and continue cooking uncovered until the bird is crispy on top.
turkish 12 pounds
a lot of marinade
Peppers
2 teaspoons of Black Pepper
4 cloves of garlic (mashed in a mortar)
2 teaspoons of orange (Leaf)
4 sticks of butter
To start preparing your Rice with Pigeon Peas:
YOU WILL NEED TO:
2 packets of Sazon
3 cans of pigeon peas
6 cups of water
4 cups of rice
2 cups chopped bacon, cooked
2 cups of sofrito
2 Tablespoons Goya Olive Oil
Heat the olive oil in a large cauldron or pot.
Drain and rinse the cans of Gandules
Sauté the sofrito and the chopped ham for about a minute and a half
Add rice, water, pigeon peas and Sazón
Once it starts to boil, let it continue for about 3 minutes.
Cover pot tightly and reduce heat to medium-low. Let it cook for 35 to 40 minutes.
***DO NOT use a lid with those vent holes and DO NOT lift the lid to check the rice!
When ready stir the rice once or twice before serving and serve HOT.
PREPARING YOUR GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE:
2 pounds green beans, washed and trimmed
2 garlic cloves, cut in half
3 tablespoons chopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ package of Sazón and ham seasoning
1 tablespoon butter
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup boiling water
Cut the green beans in half. Heat the oil and butter in a skillet. Add sazón and ham seasoning, then sauté both with onion and garlic until soft. Remove the garlic then add the green beans, salt, pepper and boiling water. Cover and cook for 25 minutes over medium heat until tender. You can add a little more water, if necessary.
PREPARATION OF FRIED PLANTAINS (Amarillo’s):
I like to wait until my bananas are yellow with some black spots. To me, they taste better… sweeter. No Puerto Rican dish (for me) is complete without rice, pigeon peas, beans, and plantains! To start preparing the bananas. Use 4 plantains to make enough to serve multiple people and get a bottle of mojo criolla for the sauce.
Cut about an inch off each end of the banana with a sharp knife.
Cut them in half and then horizontally to fry them like chips, but make them a little thicker.
Place the chopped pieces in very hot water and leave to soak for a few minutes.
Take your knife and put it under the skin of the cut piece and start removing the skin. Sort of like you were peeling the skin off a potato. Sometimes I just use a potato peeler.
Drain them on a paper towel, then sprinkle the slices with black pepper, a pinch of salt, or garlic, then fry each slice in the olive oil and vegetable oil mixture over medium heat until tender and golden brown. Flip them over once.
And for the fat cut: DESSERT
We have Trembling! This is a traditional Puerto Rican dessert for the holidays.
YOU WILL NEED TO:
4 cups of coconut milk and ground cinnamon
½ cup cornstarch and ½ tsp. Salt
2/3 cup sugar
A medium saucepan, a serving plate and a square saucepan.
Dissolve cornstarch in saucepan with 1/4 cup coconut milk. Once it has dissolved, add the rest of the coconut milk, followed by the sugar and salt. Cook over medium-high heat and stir continuously!
As the mixture thickens, lower the heat until it boils. Immediately for in your pan. Let cool, then cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Carefully separate the temple from the mold with a knife. Invert onto a serving plate and sprinkle with cinnamon. I serve this with lattes or men usually just want another beer.
CLEVER! You just made your first Puerto Rican Thanksgiving meal! Enjoy!
Now if you dare… go one step further and add Coquito to the menu. This is a Puerto Rican favorite especially popular during Christmas and New Years. Nobody makes Coquito like my Grandma!
YOU WILL NEED TO:
40 ounces of coconut milk
14 ounces evaporated (condensed) milk
1½ cup of water
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups of Bacardi rum
Salt to taste
Mix all the ingredients in a blender. Taste and add more rum if you like it stronger. You must add the water because it will thicken once you refrigerate it. Pour into a bottle and refrigerate well. Collect pint-sized Coquito pour-over bottles for guests to take home as party favors.
