Recipes

Duck Breasts with Poblano Chiles

Duck Breasts with Poblano Chiles

Pechugas de Pato con Rajas
Although wild ducks have been a part of the Mexican diet for centuries, duck breasts from domesticated birds are not common; but, they are offered on menus in some upscale restaurants in Mexico's larger cities and in the United States, which makes it easier to reinvent traditional Mexican dishes. Corn with Cheese is wonderful with the duck.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Instructions

  • Prepare the chiles.
  • Then remove the stem and the seeds.
  • Cut the chiles into short, thin strips.
  • Set aside.
  • In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat and cook the onion until it starts to brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Add the oregano, parsley, and chile strips.
  • Cook, stirring, 1 minute.
  • Remove from the heat and stir in the tomato.
  • Heat a large heavy dry skillet over medium heat.
  • Arrange the duck breasts skin side down in the dry pan.
  • Cook without turning until the skin is nicely browned, about 10 minutes.
  • (The fat will render as the duck cooks, and the skin will become crisp.
  • Take care not to blacken the skin.
  • ) Turn and cook the second side until medium rare, 4 to 5 minutes, or medium, 6 minutes.
  • Transfer to a plate and let rest 5 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, reheat the sauce.
  • Slice each duck breast crosswise on a diagonal and arrange overlapping on each of 4 plates.
  • Spoon a line of the heated sauce across each serving.
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Course; Duck
Cuisine; Mexican

Duck Breasts with Blackberry Sauce

Duck Breasts with Blackberry Sauce

Pechugas de Pato con Salsa de Zarsamora Hacienda de los Morales, in Mexico City, once a magnificent colonial mansion, is now a renowned restaurant surrounded by beautiful gardens. This restaurant is in the upscale Polanco zone of the city where many new-style restaurants are located. The ambiance and service are top-notch, and the food has drawn my husband and me back on many occasions for more than twenty years. One of the Mexican specialties is roast duck, and I base my recipe on a wonderful dish served with tart-sweet blackberry sauce. Wild blackberries grow in Mexico, and farm-raised berries are also grown now. Maggi seasoning extract is popular in Mexico and is also widely available in supermarkets here.
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Equipment

  • medium saucepan

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a medium saucepan, put the onion, garlic, and vinegar.
  • Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
  • Add the blackberries, broth, Worcestershire, and Maggi.
  • Boil, stirring frequently, until the sauce is reduced to about ½ cup, about 10 to 12 minutes.
  • Pour the sauce through a strainer into a bowl, pressing to extract all the juices.
  • Discard the debris in the strainer.
  • Return the sauce to the pan.
  • Add the jam and stir until the jam melts.
  • Add the cornstarch, salt, and pepper.
  • Cook, stirring, until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Reserve off heat.
  • Heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat.
  • Arrange the duck breasts skin side down in the dry pan.
  • Season with the remaining salt.
  • Cook without turning until the skin is nicely browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
  • (Fat renders as the duck cooks, and the skin becomes a bit crisp.
  • Take care not to blacken the skin.
  • ) Turn and cook the second side until medium rare, 4 to 5 minutes or medium, 6 minutes.
  • Transfer to a plate and let rest 5 minutes.
  • Reheat the sauce over low heat.
  • Add to the sauce the juices that collected on the plate with the duck.
  • Thinly slice each duck breast crosswise on a diagonal.
  • Spoon a portion of the sauce on each of 4 serving plates.
  • Fan the duck breasts on top of the sauce on each plate.
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Course; Duck
Cuisine; Mexican

Braised Duck for Tacos

Braised Duck for Tacos

Pato para Tacos
Tender boneless duck meat makes dynamite tacos, enchiladas, or burritos. When I buy whole ducks and use the breasts only, I save the legs and wings just for braising. The meat is so tender that it falls right off the bones. Many of the sauces or salsas in this book will go well with the duck, such as Avocado and Tomatillo Sauce, Fresh Tomatillo Sauce, or Pineapple Salsa. Tomatillo-Cilantro Rice or Green Rice are good with the duck.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings as an entrée, or about 2½ cups meat

Instructions

  • Trim all the excess fat from the duck legs and thighs.
  • Trim the excess skin, leaving a small portion along the center of the meat.
  • Trim wings of excess skin and fat.
  • Season the duck with salt, pepper, oregano, and thyme.
  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
  • Cook the duck pieces, skin side down, 8 to 10 minutes, or until well browned.
  • Turn and cook until lightly browned, 4 to 6 minutes.
  • Transfer to an ovenproof casserole dish.
  • Pour all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the skillet.
  • Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until limp and light brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
  • Add the tomatoes, broth, and vinegar.
  • Bring to a boil; then pour the skillet contents over the duck in the casserole dish.
  • Cover and braise in the oven 1½ hours, or until the duck is very tender and easily comes off the bone.
  • Remove from the oven.
  • When cool enough to handle, pull the meat off the bones, discarding the bones.
  • Serve the duck meat and cooking juices as an entrée with rice, or use the duck as a filling for tacos, enchiladas, or burritos.
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Course; Duck / Taco’s
Cuisine; Mexican

Roasted Whole Turkey with White Sauce

Roasted Whole Turkey with White Sauce

To stuff a whole turkey, you will need to increase the stuffing and the sauce recipes by one-and-one-half times the amount listed in the recipes. For a special but uncomplicated meal, I like to start with a Shrimp Tortilla Soup, and serve cooked vegetables such as Carrot and Jicama Sticks or with the turkey.
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Ingredients

  • 1 12- to 14-pound turkey
  • 3 large garlic cloves mashed
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • ¾ teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1½ times quantities of ingredients for stuffing in Yucatán Stuffed Turkey Breast with White Sauce
  • 3 cups Yucatán White Sauce or 4½ cups White Sauce with Tomatoes

Instructions

  • Trim excess fat from the turkey.
  • Make a paste with the garlic, salt, pepper, and vinegar.
  • Rub the paste all over the turkey and under the skin.
  • Set aside.
  • Preheat oven to 450°.
  • Prepare the stuffing as instructed in Steps 2 and 3 in the main recipe.
  • Stuff the turkey and place on a roasting rack, breast side up.
  • Place in the oven and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 350°.
  • Roast, basting the turkey occasionally with the pan drippings, about 3½ to 4 hours, until the interior temperature of the thickest part reaches 165° to 170° on an instant-read thermometer and the thigh juices run clear when pierced with the tip of a knife.
  • Remove from the oven and let the turkey stand about 10 minutes before carving.
  • While the turkey is roasting, prepare the sauce.
  • To serve, remove the stuffing and place in a bowl.
  • Reheat the sauce.
  • Carve the turkey and pour about 1 cup of the sauce over the sliced turkey.
  • Pass remaining sauce at the table.
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Course; Turkey
Cuisine; Mexican

Yucatán Stuffed Turkey Breast with White Sauce

Yucatán Stuffed Turkey Breast with White Sauce

Pavo en Relleno Blanco
Instead of roasting a whole turkey for this traditional dish of the Yucatán, I prefer to roast a whole turkey breast. (If you wish to roast a whole turkey, see the box that follows.) The wonderful ground pork stuffing is mounded snugly underneath. Serve with Yucatán White Sauce or White Sauce with Tomatoes. The sauce of choice can be made ahead or prepared while the turkey roasts.
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Ingredients

Makes 8 servings

  • 2 cups Yucatán White Sauce or 3 cups White Sauce with Tomatoes
  • 1 whole turkey breast on the bone about 5 pounds
  • 2 large garlic cloves mashed
  • 1½ teaspoons salt or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon white pepper
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • Stuffing
  • ½ pound fresh ground pork
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano Mexican variety preferred, crumbled
  • ½ cup chopped pimiento-stuffed green olives
  • ½ cup currants
  • ¼ cup chopped slivered almonds
  • 2 tablespoons drained capers
  • 4 cups day-old baguette bread 1⁄2-inch cubes
  • 1 cup chicken or turkey broth
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Instructions

  • Prepare the preferred sauce for the turkey.
  • Cover and refrigerate if made ahead.
  • Trim excess fat from the turkey.
  • Make a paste of the garlic, 1 teaspoon of the salt, pepper, and vinegar.
  • Rub the mixture over the turkey and under the skin.
  • Set aside.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°.
  • Line a large roasting pan with aluminum foil.
  • Set aside.
  • To prepare the stuffing, in a medium skillet over medium heat, cook the pork and oregano, stirring to break up the lumps, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes.
  • Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
  • Add the olives, currants, almonds, capers, bread, and remaining ½ teaspoon of salt.
  • Mix well.
  • Add the broth and gently toss together until moist.
  • Mound the stuffing mixture in the center of the prepared baking pan.
  • Place the turkey on top of the stuffing and brush with oil.
  • Fold the foil around the outer edges of the stuffing to prevent over browning.
  • Cover the pan completely with another sheet of aluminum foil.
  • Place in the oven and roast 1 hour.
  • Remove the foil cover, reduce oven heat to 325° and roast about 45 minutes, or until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 165° to 170° and juices run clear when the meat is pierced with the tip of a knife.
  • Transfer turkey to a cutting board.
  • Reheat the reserved sauce.
  • Put the stuffing on a large platter.
  • Slice the turkey and arrange overlapping on the stuffing.
  • Spoon about ½ cup of sauce on top of the sliced turkey.
  • Pass remaining sauce at the table.
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Course; Turkey
Cuisine; Mexican

Yucatán Cold Spiced Turkey

Yucatán Cold Spiced Turkey

Pavo en Frio
It's more practical to poach a turkey breast for this classic Yucatán dish than to tackle a whole turkey. The turkey breast is flavored with typical Yucatán seasonings. The poached turkey is cooled, sliced, and served as a cold entrée or light lunch. You may be surprised how good it is. Rice Salad often accompanies the turkey.
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Ingredients

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Instructions

  • With a sharp knife, make 3 diagonal cuts about 2 inches deep into the turkey.
  • Tuck in the ham strips.
  • Make a paste of the oil, garlic, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, and pepper.
  • Rub it all over the turkey and into the cuts.
  • Wrap the turkey securely with cheesecloth.
  • Place the turkey in a large pot.
  • Add the remaining ingredients and enough water to barely cover the turkey.
  • Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the turkey is tender, about 1 hour.
  • Remove the turkey from the pot, transfer to a large platter and let stand to cool, 25 to 30 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, strain the cooking liquid, discarding the solids.
  • Cool the stock and remove about ½ cup to moisten the turkey.
  • Cover and refrigerate remaining stock for soup or some other use.
  • Remove the cheesecloth.
  • Remove the meat and discard the skin and bones.
  • Slice the turkey and arrange on a platter.
  • Moisten with the ½ cup reserved stock.
  • Cover and refrigerate until shortly before serving.
  • Prepare vinaigrette.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve the turkey cold with the vinaigrette.
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Course; Turkey
Cuisine; Mexican

Turkey Meat Loaf

Turkey Meat Loaf

Albondigón de Pavo
Turkey is very important in Mexican cuisine, but ground turkey meat isn't used as much as ground pork or beef. Perhaps its versatility has not been realized, but it makes a fine Mexican-flavored meat loaf.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°.
  • Grease a 9- × 5-inch loaf pan.
  • Put all of the ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly.
  • Form into a loaf and transfer to the pan.
  • Bake until brown on top and completely cooked through, 45 to 50 minutes.
  • Let stand 8 to 10 minutes; then slice and serve.
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Course; Turkey
Cuisine; Mexican

Turkey and Hominy Stew

Turkey and Hominy Stew

Pozole de Pavo
Here is a rustic stew of braised turkey thigh meat, hominy, green chiles, herbs, and spices. Hominy is dried white or yellow corn kernels with the hull removed. When cooked, it expands and softens to a slightly chewy texture. For convenience, canned hominy is used here. Ancho or pasilla chili (chili molida) powder can be found in the Mexican section of many supermarkets. Serve with warm corn tortillas.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 to 6 servings

  • 1 11⁄2- to 2-pound turkey thigh, skin removed
  • 1 tablespoon ancho or pasilla chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano Mexican variety preferred, crumbled
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 2 large garlic cloves thinly sliced
  • 6 plum tomatoes peeled and chopped
  • 2 poblano chiles roasted, peeled, and seeded
  • ¼ cup lightly packed chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1½ tablespoons masa harina flour for corn tortillas
  • 2 15-ounce cans white or yellow hominy, drained and rinsed
  • 1 large avocado Hass variety preferred, neatly diced, about ½ inch

Instructions

  • Put 2 quarts of water and the turkey thigh in a large pot.
  • Bring to a boil, skimming as needed.
  • Add the chili powder, oregano, cumin, and salt.
  • Reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the turkey is very tender, about 1 hour.
  • Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and cook the onion until it starts to brown, about 4 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and tomatoes.
  • Cook until the tomato juices are reduced, and the mixture is nearly dry, 4 to 5 minutes.
  • Reserve off heat.
  • When the turkey is tender, remove from the liquid.
  • When cool enough to handle, separate the meat from the bones, discarding the bone, and return the meat to the broth.
  • Add the tomato mixture from the skillet.
  • Cut the roasted chiles into 1-inch squares and add to the turkey pot along with the masa harina, cilantro and hominy.
  • Bring the stew to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
  • Adjust seasoning.
  • Top each serving with diced avocado.
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Course; Stew / Turkey
Cuisine; Mexican

Turkey Stew

Turkey Stew

Guisado de Pavo
Cook fresh turkey or use leftover turkey for this hearty whole-meal stew. A splash of lime in the stew just before eating is a refreshing touch. Serve with tortillas or crusty rolls, such as the Whole-Wheat Rolls.
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Ingredients

  • Makes 4 to 6 servings
  • Basic Cooked Turkey Breast
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium white onion coarsely chopped
  • 4 large garlic cloves thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano Mexican variety preferred, crumbled
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 medium tomatoes peeled and chopped
  • 4 cups turkey stock from cooking the turkey or canned chicken broth
  • 3 medium carrots peeled and cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces
  • 3 medium zucchini trimmed and cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces
  • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper or to taste
  • ¼ cup loosely packed chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 large avocado Hass variety preferred, peeled and diced
  • Lime wedges

Instructions

  • Prepare the turkey breast.
  • Cut the cooked turkey into 1⁄2-inch cubes.
  • Cover and reserve (there will be about 4 cups).
  • Measure out 4 cups of turkey stock.
  • If more broth is needed, add canned chicken broth to make 4 cups.
  • Set the broth aside.
  • In a large saucepan, heat the oil and cook the onion until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Add the garlic, oregano, cumin, and tomatoes.
  • Bring to a boil and cook until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the reserved turkey broth, carrots, and zucchini.
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
  • Add the turkey, salt, pepper, and cilantro.
  • Simmer the stew until completely heated through, about 5 minutes.
  • Adjust seasoning.
  • Serve garnished with avocado and lime wedges.
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Course; Stew / Turkey
Cuisine; Mexican