Jacqui Tyson SHARES HER THANKSGIVING JERK TURKEY RECIPE
THANKSGIVING I SN’T a Jamaican holiday, but with millions of Jamaicans in the diaspora using the occasion to reflect and show gratitude for blessings, family and friends over a well-prepared feast – usually centred around turkey – we enlisted the expertise of renowned Chef Jacqui Tyson of From Thought to Finish to add Jamaican spice to Thanksgiving with her signature jerk turkey recipe. “You will be surprised, when you roast this turkey, the flavours that come alive by just imparting all the things that come with the jerk,” says Tyson.
We hear Shaggy and his family are big fans of this recipe, and with Christmas around the corner, it’s the perfect substitute, or addition, to chicken at the dinner table.
JACQUI’S SIGNATURE JERK TURKEY INGREDIENTS
■ 12-15lb turkey
■ 2 bottles Walkerswood Mild Jerk Seasoning
■ 1 cup white wine
■ 2lb of butter
■ 2tbsps smoked paprika
TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT NEEDED
■ Meat injector
■ Roasting pan
■ Basting brush
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Completely defrost the turkey and wash with limes/lemons or a splash of vinegar.
2. Brush the bird with a mild jerk seasoning marinade inside the cavity and on the outside.
3. Cover and rest in the refrigerator and prepare the injectable marinade.
Injectable marinade
1. In a sauce pan, combine 1 cup of white wine, ¼ cup of jerk seasoning and 2 sticks of butter.
2. Heat on medium-low heat until the butter is completely melted.
3. Remove from heat and run the mixture through a cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer.
4. Using a meat injector, pull the mixture into the syringe and set aside.
5. Remove the turkey from the refrigerator and inject the bird in the breasts, the joints of the legs and thighs and the wings.
Basting rub
1. In a separate sauce pan, melt 1 stick of butter and add 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika.
2. Using a pastry or basting brush, brush the bird entirely with the butter mixture.
3. Cut cubes of cold butter and place all over the bird and under the skin.
Cooking the bird
1. Place in an oven, preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Baste the turkey with the butter and paprika mixture every 30-45 minutes.
3. Once the caramel brown colour has been achieved, use aluminium foil to tent and cover the turkey completely.
4. The turkey will cook for 15 minutes to each pound. The average 13- to 15-pound turkey will take approximately 3 ½ hours.