A family trip to Mexico relived through an inspired Thanksgiving menu
Thanksgiving traditions begin with packing up the car, loading bikes on the tailgate rack, latching surfboards to the roof and heading south to our hometown, Melbourne Beach, Florida. Family, food and fun are on the menu, accented with beach strolls and polar plunges in between food prep to get ready for the Thursday feast.
Plans changed this year. Late summer and fall were rich with travel, and lounging at home will refuel us. It’s a callin’ Baton Rouge, make-new-memories mood that requires straying from the lifelong menu of turkey and dressing, rice and gravy, the family-style passed bowls of roasted vegetables, and all that jazz. Two of our faraway daughters will join the celebratory respite.
We decided to revisit a favorite festive dish that we learned in the home kitchen of Toni Sobel, our late tour guide in Oaxaca, Mexico. She trekked us around the markets with our young daughters in tow, gathering the ingredients for our cooking event at her home the next day. Imagine each market stall featuring a feast for the senses. Dried chiles in every size, shape and color dangling from the ceiling and spilling out of massive handmade baskets. We selected fresh tropical fruits in vibrant hues to serve with our dessert. This trip of a lifetime, 20 years ago, forever holds a piece of my heart. We talk about going back.
When we contacted Sobel to arrange our tours and cooking session, she presented her first-choice menu that would engage the girls without significant technical fuss—estofado de pollo, one of Mexico’s treasured mole dishes. I had toyed with making mole in my home kitchen, lovingly referring to the event as a cooking project. The ceiling reflects the task with stains from it sputtering like lava. Sourcing the long list of ingredients proved vexing as well. Sobel’s recipe read like a regular grocery list, so we knew it was a win.
Our girls agreed this would be perfect for a quiet Thanksgiving at home, complete with a nostalgic reflection of our beloved family vacation so many years ago. While in Oaxaca, we made the estofado with chicken. It translates beautifully to a turkey breast, perfect for feeding our party of six. Any extras can be shredded back into the luscious sauce for weekend tacos, perfect for gameday. As much as I adore a complex cooking assignment, it is hard to beat a simple-to-make showstopper.
While I will miss the delights of my hometown coast this Thanksgiving, my excitement to reenact the family trip to Oaxaca from my kitchen will soothe my soul. All told, an hour at the stove and you are sharing conversation at the table, giving thanks.
Estofado de Pavo (Turkey in almond sauce)
One of the simpler mole dishes, this one is stove to table in a leisurely hour. Blister onion and unpeeled garlic in a cast-iron skillet. Purée with a can of fire-roasted tomatoes, toasted nuts and some raisins for sweetness. Sear the sauce until it thickens from cream of tomato to deep orange tomato paste. Add in some aromatics and a browned turkey breast, and let it braise.
Ingredients:
1⁄3 cup whole almonds
¼ cup white sesame seeds
½ medium white onion, sliced ¼-inch thick
½ head garlic, cloves separated, peels left on (about 6 good-sized cloves)
6 ripe Roma tomatoes (alternatively, can use a 28-oz. can of fire-roasted tomatoes)
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 Tbsp. raisins
1 cinnamon stick, preferably Mexican canela
4 sprigs fresh parsley
1⁄3 cup pitted green olives (drained)
Whole pickled jalapeno chiles and pickling liquid, to taste
3 tsp. salt, divided use
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided use
1 small (1 ½ to 2 lb.) bone-in turkey breast
2 cups water
Make mole (sauce):
Heat a flat griddle (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat. Toast almonds and sesame seeds for 3 to 5 minutes until golden. Transfer to a food processor.
Reduce heat to medium and pan-roast onion slices and whole garlic, turning once, until darkened and soft.
Peel garlic, and transfer garlic and onion to food processor. Pan-roast whole tomatoes until soft and blackened on the outside. Cool, then peel tomatoes (skip these steps if using canned tomatoes) and add them (and any juices) to food processor. Add oregano and raisins to food processor and blend until smooth (add 1 or 2 Tbsp. of water if necessary).
Brown turkey:
Heat 1 Tbsp. of oil in a large Dutch oven or deep sauté pan over medium heat.
Sprinkle turkey with 1½ tsp. salt, and carefully transfer to the pot, browning for a few minutes on each side. Remove to a large plate and keep pan hot for finishing the dish.
Finishing the dish:
Add 1 Tbsp. oil to the pot and puréed ingredients to hot pan and cook until thick and darkened, about 10 to 15 minutes over medium heat. (Adjust heat if necessary—it will sputter into an orange lava. A spatter screen helps with the mess.) Add 2 cups water, 1½ tsp. salt, the cinnamon stick, the parsley, green olives, slices of jalapeno to taste and 2 Tbsp. of vinegar from pickled jalapenos. Stir to combine, then add browned turkey breast.
Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat, turning occasionally, until turkey is done, about 45 to 50 minutes (a fork should press easily into turkey and will register 170 on a thermometer). Remove pot from heat and allow turkey to rest briefly in sauce. Slice off bone and serve with a ladleful of sauce and a scoop of rice.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Classic Mexican White Rice
First sautéing the rice and onion in a little olive oil elevates a simple pot of rice into an impressive side dish that pairs perfectly with the estofado de pavo. A little diced carrot makes it festive.
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
2 cups medium grain white rice
1½ tsp. fine salt
3 cups water or chicken stock
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
Heat oil in a medium saucepan with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat. Add onion, rice and salt and stir occasionally until rice is chalky white and onion softens, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Add water or stock, increase heat to high, and stir. Add diced carrot. When it just comes to a boil, reduce heat to low. Cover and cook until all liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. (If there are still firm grains of rice when liquid is absorbed, add 1 or 2 Tbsp. of water and continue to cook a few more minutes.) Serve.
Makes 6 servings.
Brussels Sprouts Salad with Spicy Satsuma Dressing
This versatile dressing is also great on roasted vegetables.
1 lb. Brussels sprouts, rinsed, ends trimmed, and thinly sliced (food processor slicing blade)
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. fresh satsuma juice
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
½ tsp. coarse sea salt
¼ tsp. chipotle chili powder
Spiced toasted pepitas, for garnish
Pomegranate seeds, for garnish
Place sliced Brussels sprouts in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk olive oil, satsuma and lime juices, sea salt and chipotle powder together to make dressing. Drizzle over Brussels sprouts and toss well to coat.
Top salad with pepitas and pomegranate seeds and serve.
Makes 6 servings.
