Ingredients
- A whole turkey of 2.5 – 3 kg
- 2 large onions
- 750 g of rice
- 1 tbsp of currants
- 1 tbsp of pine nuts
- ½ cups of olive oil
- 1 tbsp of tomato paste
- 1 tsp of salt
- 2 tsp of black pepper
- 2 tsp of cinnamon
- 1 tsp of allspice
- 250 g candied chestnuts or boiled and peeled chestnuts (optional)
- Brushing sauce: 1 tbsp of red pepper flakes; 1 tbsp of rosemary, thyme and sage mixture and 1/4 cup of olive oil.
Preparation and Cooking
- While the oven is heating, prepare the stuffing by heating the 1/2 cup olive oil in a large pan, then add the diced onions and cook about 5 min or until the onions are softened.
- Add the rice, currants, pine nuts, tomato paste, salt, black pepper, cinnamon, and allspice to the pan and stir well to combine. If using add the chestnuts and stir again and cook the entire mixture for another 5-10 min, then remove it from the heat.
- Clean the turkey and pat it dry and season the inside and outside with salt and pepper. Then stuff the cavity of the turkey with the prepared stuffing.
- Truss the turkey with kitchen twine, then brush the entire skin of the turkey with the mixture of red pepper flakes, thyme, and olive oil.
- Place the turkey in a large pan and put it in the oven. If cooking at active fire and flame radiated heat, the turkey should be covered by a lid of the pan or aluminium foil.
- Roast the turkey for approximately 2 to 3 hours at around 160-180oC (or until the internal temperature reaches to 74oC).
- Let the turkey rest for at least 20 minutes before serving. It can be carved and served with various vegetable garnishes.
Hints and Comments
- Cooking a turkey in a wood-fired oven can give it a unique, smoky flavour that’s hard to replicate with a conventional oven. It can also be cooked under “slow cooking mode” at around 120-140oC for a longer period of times up to 6-8 hours.
