Brazilian Christmas Turkey

EdsGirlAngie's Note:

I think this is one of the best turkey breasts I've ever had; it's reportedly part of the Ceia de Natal, or Brazilian Christmas turkey feast. Although a whole turkey is actually used, I just used a turkey breast, about 8 lbs., and used light Puerto Rican rum instead of the traditional Cachaca. It's one of those thing where you keep sneaking into the refrigerator for one more piece... prep time includes marinating overnight.

• Total Time: 28 hrs
• Prep Time: 24 hrs
• Cook Time: 4 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 1 (12 lb) turkey (or, I used a 8 to 9 lb. turkey breast - NOT a turkey roast, though)
• 2 cups light rum (to be traditional, use Brazilian Cachaca)
• 2 onions , diced
• 6 cloves garlic , chopped
• 4 ripe tomatoes , diced
• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup fresh lime juice
• ¼ cup grated lime zest (just the green part)
• 2 cups water
• ½ cup chopped green onion
• 1 cup chopped parsley

Directions:

1. Place turkey (or turkey breast) and all other ingredients in a large oven roasting bag, seal tightly with no air and place in a large dish in the refrigerator to marinate overnight (actually, mine marinated for nearly 2 days--).
2. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
3. Remove turkey from marinade and place in a large roasting pan.
4. In a strainer, drain liquid from the vegetables and seasonings; place vegetables and seasonings in the turkey cavity.
5. Roast, covered with foil, for 30 minutes at 425 degrees; reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and roast about another 3 to 3-1/2 hours (for turkey breast; for a whole turkey, adjust your time accordingly), basting periodically.
6. Uncover the last 30 minutes or so for browning of the turkey.
7. Makes the most excellent turkey sandwiches--.

Reviews

[Waynus]

Just did this for Christmas and it was great. It does take at least 48 hours for the marinade to flavour the meat. We loved it and will use it again for a different tasting turkey!

[Engrossed]

This was good but not worth all of the extra ingredients as it didn't taste much different than a plain roasted turkey. I followed the instructions exactly and marinated it overnight. I used a bone-in turkey breast. I also had to cook it extra time to get the skin browned. If you make it, you may want to keep it uncovered until it browns and then cover it with foil.