Stuffed Turkey

This is especially the case on Thanksgiving, when people across the country eat stuffed turkey.

Capó farcit
Living in the United States, the vast differences between American and Catalan cuisine can be overwhelming, but on certain days, these two culinary traditions seem to come together bringing us a taste of home sweet home. This is especially the case on Thanksgiving, when people across the country eat stuffed turkey. Turkey reached Catalonia by way of the Americas in the sixteenth century, though, at the time, it was considered a rich man’s fare.

TRADITIONS

In the olden days, people fasted in preparation for Christmas, as they did on many other important liturgical dates. In an ecclesiastic council held in the year 817, it was declared that capons needn’t be considered meat, meaning that the faithful could eat them over Christmas. Following this decision, the custom of eating capon for Christmas took root. When turkey became more commonplace in Catalonia, it was incorporated into Christmas traditions, as people found it tastier than chicken.

30 min + 2 h

Ingredients

1 capon or turkey (approx. 7.5 lb.)
12 prunes, soaked in water or white wine for 30 minutes
3 Tbsp. duck fat
1⁄4 lb. pine nuts
12 dried apricots
2 mild pork sausages (botifarra), cut into 1-inch pieces
3⁄4 lb. pork loin, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 sweet onions
3 small, ripe tomatoes, halved
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1⁄2-inch slices
3 bay leaves
1 Tbsp. grated black truffle
1⁄2 head of garlic, cut it in half horizontally
1 sprig of oregano
10 leaves of fresh, Italian parsley
1⁄2 cup of brandy
3⁄4 cup vi ranci (De Muller rancio seco) or white wine
8 cups chicken broth Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper EVOO or lard

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1.
Preheat the oven to 300°F.

Step 2.
Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a pan and fry up the sausage and pork loin over high heat. Once golden on the outside, toss in the apricots, truffle, prunes, and pine nuts. Season with salt, pepper, chopped parsley leaves, and oregano, then pour in a bit of wine and reduce for 2 minutes. Let the mixture cool.

Step 3.
Rub the entire chicken with duck fat and season generously with salt and as much pepper as you’d like.

Step 4.
Pour a bit of wine inside the capon, and then stuff it with the meat and dried fruit mixture. If desired, truss the bird to keep the stuffing inside while cooking.

Step 5.
Place the chicken in a deep, large roasting pan, cover it in aluminum foil, and stick it in the oven. Baste the chicken with the liquid at the bottom of the baking dish every 30 minutes. After an hour, add the carrots, onion, garlic, and bay leaf. Bake for one more hour.

Step 6.
After two hours, pour in the chicken stock and add the tomato. Cook for another 1.5 hours. For the last 30 minutes, remove the foil. Serve.

Stuffed Turkey

TRADITIONS

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