Fiesta turkey with chorizo and cashew stuffing is the Mexican-inspired Thanksgiving dinner of our dreams

Chef and cookbook author Pati Jinich shared three recipes for turkey day.

November 16, 2021, 8:00 AM

James Beard Award-winning Mexican chef and TV host Pati Jinich joined "Good Morning America" to celebrate the release of her third cookbook and demonstrated three dishes that would make the perfect Thanksgiving dinner.

"Treasures of the Mexican Table: Classic Recipes, Local Secrets" celebrates lesser known regional dishes and highlights her home country's culinary treasures, as well as the people and stories behind them.

PHOTO: The cover of "Treasures of the Mexican Table: Classic Recipes, Local Secrets."
The cover of "Treasures of the Mexican Table: Classic Recipes, Local Secrets."
Angie Mosier

Her versatile and vibrant cookbook was made with home cooks of every skill level in mind and an emphasis on how native ingredients have transformed into new staples to paint a vivid culinary picture.

Jinich shared recipes for a turkey, or pavo, with chorizo and cashew stuffing, baked mashed potatoes and green beans with a fresh corn and epazote puree.

Potato Crown - Rosca de Papa

PHOTO: A potato crown from Pati Jinich's new cookbook "Treasures of the Mexican Table."
A potato crown from Pati Jinich's new cookbook "Treasures of the Mexican Table."
Angie Mosier

This elegant-looking baked potato ring comes from Sonora, in the north of Mexico, a region that loves its potatoes as much as it does its cheese -- and dairy products in general. Cooks there whip potatoes together with cream, butter and cheese and bake them in a ring-shaped pan (like a Bundt pan), creating a spectacularly delicious puffed crown.

It emerges from the oven looking browned and gorgeous, ready to be sliced like a cake.

Serves: 8 to 10

Ingredients
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan
2 tablespoons bread crumbs
Kosher salt
4 pounds red potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup grated melting cheese, such as asadero, Oaxaca, Monterey Jack, or mozzarella
1/2 cup grated anejo, Cotija, or Parmigiano-Reggiano
3 large eggs, well beaten

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, with a rack in the middle. Butter a 10-inch Bundt pan and dust with the bread crumbs.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and place in a large bowl.
Add the butter and cream to the potatoes and mash with a potato masher or a fork until smooth.
Stir the flour, baking powder and 2 teaspoons salt together in a small bowl, then stir into the potato mixture. Stir in both cheeses. Stir in the eggs and mix until thoroughly incorporated.
Scrape the potatoes into the Bundt pan and smooth the top. Bake for 55 minutes, or until the potatoes are puffed and golden. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for a few minutes.
Invert a serving plate over the Bundt pan, invert it onto the plate, and remove the pan. Serve immediately.

Cook's Note: If you have any leftovers, you can slice them, panfry them in a bit of butter, and serve them under eggs topped with salsa.

Fiesta Turkey with Chorizo and Cashew Stuffing - Pavo de Fiesta con Chorizo y Nuez de la India

PHOTO: Pati Jinich's fiesta turkey with chorizo and cashew stuffing.
Pati Jinich's fiesta turkey with chorizo and cashew stuffing.
Angie Mosier

If you need a stunner for Thanksgiving dinner, here's your recipe, which is modeled on the traditions of coastal Veracruz. It results in a moist, juicy bird, with an irresistible adobo marinade and a to-die-for stuffing.

The turkey is marinated for a day (or two) in a pineapple and orange adobo sauce. The adobo is poured over the turkey before it goes into the oven, so it caramelizes as it thickens and seasons the bird even more.

The sweet and tart flavors in the adobo harmonize with those in the stuffing, which is made with a soft bread and a colorful mix of ingredients that include cashews, tomatoes and chorizo.

You will need to start at least a day ahead so the bird can marinate.

Serves: 10

Ingredients
For the adobo marinade and turkey
4 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
4 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
8 garlic cloves, peeled
4 cups peeled, cored, and chopped fresh pineapple
1 cup coarsely chopped white onion
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar or grated piloncillo
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground canela or cinnamon
1 tablespoon kosher salt, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice (from 5 to 6 medium oranges)
1 cup chicken broth
1 (14- to 16-pound) turkey, rinsed and patted dry, giblets removed, neck reserved

For the stuffing
1/4 cup olive oil
8 cups diced brioche or challah ( 1⁄2-inch dice)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the croutons
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for the croutons
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 pound Mexican chorizo, casings removed and chopped
2 cups finely chopped white onions
1 cup finely chopped celery
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 pound ripe tomatoes, finely chopped, or 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon anise seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground canela or cinnamon
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup pitted prunes, finely chopped
1 cup cashews, finely chopped

For roasting the turkey and gravy
1 pound ripe tomatoes, chopped, or 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
4 celery stalks, chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 medium white onions, chopped
2 cups chicken broth

Directions

To marinate the turkey: One to two days ahead, combine the ancho and guajillo chiles and garlic cloves in a medium saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the chiles and garlic are softened. Drain and transfer the chiles and garlic to a blender.
Add the pineapple, onion, brown sugar, vinegar, oregano, canela or cinnamon, salt and pepper to the blender and puree until smooth.
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the chile puree and orange juice, stir, bring to a simmer, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until the mixture has thickened and darkened in color and the flavors have intensified. Add the chicken broth, stir, and set aside to cool to room temperature.
Slide the turkey and the neck into a large brining bag or plastic bag (you can use a kitchen garbage bag) and place in a large bowl, with the turkey breast side down. Open up the bag and pour in the marinade. Reach in and massage the marinade into and over the turkey, working it into the cavity and all the crevasses. Seal the bag (leave it in the bowl). Place the bowl in the refrigerator and marinate for at least 12 hours and up to 48 hours (the longer the better), turning the turkey in the bag a couple of times to redistribute the marinade.

To make the stuffing: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, with a rack in the middle. Brush a large baking sheet with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Put the bread in a large bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over the bread, and toss well with your hands.
Spread the bread evenly on the baking sheet and bake for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, turn the pieces of bread over, and return to the oven for another 5 to 6 minutes, or until golden. Return the croutons to the bowl and set aside. Move the oven rack to the lowest position and increase the heat to 400 degrees.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chorizo and cook, breaking it apart with a couple of wooden spoons or spatulas, until it has browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chorizo to the bowl with the croutons, leaving as much of the fat as you can in the skillet.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil to the skillet. Add the onions and celery and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened and just beginning to brown. Clear a space in the center of the skillet, add the garlic and cook until fragrant, less than a minute, then mix with the onion and celery. Add the tomatoes and cook until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Stir in the anise seeds, thyme, marjoram, oregano, canela or cinnamon, 3⁄4 teaspoon salt, and 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for a minute or two.
Stir in the chicken broth and prunes and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes to heat through. Scrape the mixture into the bowl with the croutons, add the cashews, and stir until well combined. Let cool before stuffing the turkey.

To stuff and roast the turkey: Spread the tomatoes, celery, carrots, onions and turkey neck in a large roasting pan and pour in the chicken broth. Remove the turkey from the bag. Stuff it with as much stuffing as will fit. Scrape any remaining stuffing into a bowl and set aside. Close the cavity by crossing the legs and tying them with butcher's twine. Set a roasting rack over the vegetables and place the turkey breast side up on the rack. Tuck the wing tips under the turkey. Pour all the marinade remaining in the bag over the turkey.
Transfer the turkey to the oven and roast for 30 minutes.
Reduce the heat to 350 degrees, cover the turkey loosely with foil, and roast for about three and a half to four hours longer, basting halfway through, until the temperature in the thickest part of a thigh reaches 165 degrees F. Remove the turkey from the oven and move the oven rack to the middle. Transfer the turkey, on the roasting rack, to a baking sheet, cover loosely with foil, and let rest while you prepare the remaining stuffing and the gravy.
Strain the liquid in the roasting pan through a sieve set over a bowl, pressing on the solids with the back of a wooden spoon to get as much flavor as possible. Measure out 1 cup and pour that over the stuffing you set aside in the bowl. Mix well and spoon the stuffing into an oiled or buttered baking dish. Place in the oven and bake until it's heated through and the top is lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, pour the remaining strained cooking liquid into a saucepan, bring to a simmer over medium heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until it has reduced by half, 15 to 20 minutes.
Carve the turkey and serve with the stuffing (from inside the turkey and the baking dish). Serve the adobo sauce on the side.

Green Beans in Corn Sauce with Pumpkin Seeds - Chulibul

PHOTO: Corn and epazote topped green beans.
Corn and epazote topped green beans.
Angie Mosier

Serves: 4

This Mayan vegetable dish is a dream, and it comes together quickly. Green beans are cooked in a creamy fresh corn and epazote puree, topped with a chunky, spicy cooked tomato salsa and garnished with pumpkin seeds.

It comes from Campeche, in the Yucatán Peninsula. There, chulibul is often prepared more like a soup, with the green beans boiled and the rest of the ingredients stirred in. But searing the beans quickly in oil before finishing the cooking in the pureed corn preserves their crisp texture and bright flavor.

Serve chulibul as the centerpiece of a vegetarian meal or as a side.

Ingredients
1/2 cup raw hulled pumpkin seeds (see note)
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup fresh corn kernels (from 1 large ear)
1 cup water
3 to 4 fresh sprigs epazote or cilantro
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound green beans, trimmed
1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
1 fresh habanero, serrano, or jalapeno chile, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 pound ripe tomatoes, chopped, or 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

Directions
Heat a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add the pumpkin seeds and toast until they are lightly colored and starting to jump or pop, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.
Transfer the pumpkin seeds to a food processor, add 1⁄4 teaspoon of the salt, and pulse until finely ground. Set aside.
Combine the fresh corn, water, and epazote or cilantro in a blender and puree until smooth.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high to high heat. Add the green beans, sprinkle with 1⁄2 teaspoon of the salt, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to turn brighter green. Pour the pureed corn over the green beans, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often so that the sauce doesn't stick to the pan, until the beans are tender and the puree has reduced to a creamy, thick sauce.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a medium saucepan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and chile and cook until softened and starting to color, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until translucent, less than a minute. Add the tomatoes and the remaining 1⁄2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are softened and pasty, 5 to 8 minutes.
Scrape the beans with the corn sauce onto a platter. Top with the tomato salsa, garnish with the ground pumpkin seeds, and serve.

Cook's Note: You can substitute roasted salted pumpkin seeds for the raw ones, but don't toast and salt them, just grind them.

Excerpted from PATI JINICH TREASURES OF THE MEXICAN TABLE: Classic Recipes, Local Secrets © 2021 by Pati Jinich. Photography © 2021 by Angie Mosier. Reproduced by permission of Mariner Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.