Steal This Recipe® West Indies Spiced Roasted Turkey with a Rum Mojo Glaze | Chez Henri, Cambridge
From Paul O’Connell, Chef/Owner of Chez Henri in Cambridge, MA
'Stolen with permission' from Paul O’Connell, Chef/Owner of Chez Henri in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this recipe is going to turn your Thanksgiving turkey into an exotic, spicy treat!
For well over 15 years, Chez Henri has been the Boston area's only ‘French bistro with a Latin twist’ and is a popular watering hole for Harvard University staff and students alike, located just outside Harvard Square. Apparently the 'Cubano' cocktail served at the bar is the stuff of legends – if you are in Boston stop in for a one and let us know how good it is!
Chef Paul's inventive meld of classic French technique with ingredients from Central/South America and the Caribbean makes for a creative palate-pleasing menu, with choices like Plantain Crusted Mahi Mahi with Red Curry Citrus Sauce and Coconut Rice, Apple Wood Smoked Rainbow Trout with Green Apple Nage and Celeriac Puree, or Latin Vegetable Torta with Huevos Manchego, Spaghetti Squash, Roasted Calabaza, Romesco Verde & Spiced Pepitas.
About the Chef: Upon graduating from Johnson and Wales University, Paul worked with several of Boston's top chefs, including Lydia Shire at the Parker House Hotel, Jasper White at Jasper, Chris Schlesinger at the East Coast Grill and with Todd English as opening sous chef at Olives in Charlestown. While working with these chefs he learned the importance of using locally grown and raised foods and honed his skills in wood-fire grilling and pastries.
He is also committed to many charities such as Greater Boston Food Bank, Taste of the NFL, The Farm School, and the Super Hunger Brunch, and is a member of Slow Food and The Chefs Collaborative. He has appeared on Good Morning America, The CBS Early Show, Chronicle and the PBS series Cooking Around Town. He has also written for The Journal of Gastronomy and Food Arts about his travels in Cuba.
Chez Henri
1 Shepard Street
Cambridge, MA
617 354 8980
Entree prices at Chez Henri range from $24-32.
West Indies Spiced Roasted Whole Turkey with Rum Mojo Glaze serves 6-8 people.
West Indies Spiced Roasted Whole Turkey with Rum Mojo Glaze Ingredients:
12-15 lb turkey, fresh if possible
3 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 ground teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 cup onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
6 oz oil, canola or vegetable
1 cup dark rum
2 cups orange juice, fresh squeezed
1 cup dark brown sugar
3 oranges, sliced ¼ inch thick
Steal This Recipe® Step by Step Instructions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees, rinse turkey under cold water and remove the gizzards, liver and neck from cavity (save or discard).
Place the turkey in a roasting pan set with a rack.
Blend all of the spices, salt and pepper in a bowl. Set aside approximately 1/3 of the spice mix.
Add 4 ounces of oil to the spice mix to make a paste. Rub evenly all over the turkey.
Place turkey in preheated oven and roast at 450 for 20 minutes, then lower temperature to 375.
Place the remaining oil in a heavy bottomed sauce pan and place over high heat.
Add the onion and garlic to the pan and stir frequently until they begin to brown.
Add the reserved spices to the pan and stir frequently to keep spices from burning.
After 3-4 minutes, add the rum, orange juice and brown sugar. Continue stirring until the ingredients are blended.
Cook over medium heat until the Mojo is reduced by about 1/3 volume.
Begin to baste the turkey with this after the turkey has roasted for at least 1 hour.
The turkey will need to cook for at least 2 ½-3 hours. At the second hour, place the oranges over the turkey and continue to baste.
The temperature of the thigh and thickest part of the breast should be 165 degrees before serving.
Allow the bird to rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.
For well over 15 years, Chez Henri has been the Boston area's only ‘French bistro with a Latin twist’ and is a popular watering hole for Harvard University staff and students alike, located just outside Harvard Square. Apparently the 'Cubano' cocktail served at the bar is the stuff of legends – if you are in Boston stop in for a one and let us know how good it is!
Chef Paul's inventive meld of classic French technique with ingredients from Central/South America and the Caribbean makes for a creative palate-pleasing menu, with choices like Plantain Crusted Mahi Mahi with Red Curry Citrus Sauce and Coconut Rice, Apple Wood Smoked Rainbow Trout with Green Apple Nage and Celeriac Puree, or Latin Vegetable Torta with Huevos Manchego, Spaghetti Squash, Roasted Calabaza, Romesco Verde & Spiced Pepitas.
About the Chef: Upon graduating from Johnson and Wales University, Paul worked with several of Boston's top chefs, including Lydia Shire at the Parker House Hotel, Jasper White at Jasper, Chris Schlesinger at the East Coast Grill and with Todd English as opening sous chef at Olives in Charlestown. While working with these chefs he learned the importance of using locally grown and raised foods and honed his skills in wood-fire grilling and pastries.
He is also committed to many charities such as Greater Boston Food Bank, Taste of the NFL, The Farm School, and the Super Hunger Brunch, and is a member of Slow Food and The Chefs Collaborative. He has appeared on Good Morning America, The CBS Early Show, Chronicle and the PBS series Cooking Around Town. He has also written for The Journal of Gastronomy and Food Arts about his travels in Cuba.
Chez Henri
1 Shepard Street
Cambridge, MA
617 354 8980
Entree prices at Chez Henri range from $24-32.
West Indies Spiced Roasted Whole Turkey with Rum Mojo Glaze serves 6-8 people.
West Indies Spiced Roasted Whole Turkey with Rum Mojo Glaze Ingredients:
12-15 lb turkey, fresh if possible
3 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 ground teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 cup onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
6 oz oil, canola or vegetable
1 cup dark rum
2 cups orange juice, fresh squeezed
1 cup dark brown sugar
3 oranges, sliced ¼ inch thick
Steal This Recipe® Step by Step Instructions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees, rinse turkey under cold water and remove the gizzards, liver and neck from cavity (save or discard).
Place the turkey in a roasting pan set with a rack.
Blend all of the spices, salt and pepper in a bowl. Set aside approximately 1/3 of the spice mix.
Add 4 ounces of oil to the spice mix to make a paste. Rub evenly all over the turkey.
Place turkey in preheated oven and roast at 450 for 20 minutes, then lower temperature to 375.
Place the remaining oil in a heavy bottomed sauce pan and place over high heat.
Add the onion and garlic to the pan and stir frequently until they begin to brown.
Add the reserved spices to the pan and stir frequently to keep spices from burning.
After 3-4 minutes, add the rum, orange juice and brown sugar. Continue stirring until the ingredients are blended.
Cook over medium heat until the Mojo is reduced by about 1/3 volume.
Begin to baste the turkey with this after the turkey has roasted for at least 1 hour.
The turkey will need to cook for at least 2 ½-3 hours. At the second hour, place the oranges over the turkey and continue to baste.
The temperature of the thigh and thickest part of the breast should be 165 degrees before serving.
Allow the bird to rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.
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