Today we are sharing the most incredible of recipes with you for a Spanish Spiced Turkey and pairing it with Rioja wines which by far is one of our favorites!! With a robust turkey like this one you can easily pair your meal with a lovely Rioja. Do you ask what is Rioja wine? It is an elegant and great Spanish wine having the Tempranillo grape as the main element. Riojas are very well balanced in alcohol content, colour and acidity. They have great body and structure and can hold up to a robust meal like this Spanish Spiced Turkey easily. They are perfectly offset by gentle and elegant flavour and are mainly fruity in nature when they are young and velvety as they mature. Rioja is a very versatile wine and goes great with so many foods, they are priced well, easy-to-drink and will be a welcome addition to your holiday parties and meals.
For our holiday table red wine is always offered along with a white wine. Times have changed in pairing only white with turkey and it becomes a guests preference which wine they would like to drink. Offering a great Rioja will make you happy as they are affordable and your guests as they are delicious.
This turkey is full of wonderful flavours from ingredients like Spanish Smoked paprika, cumin, fennel seed and more on the outside to a delightful mixture of prunes, pine nuts and apricots cooking on the inside!
Rioja is not only a wine but a region in Spain. Rioja wines are always regulated so you can be sure you are buying a quality bottle every time. You can choose from juicy rosado wines, crisp blancos, or elegant reds ranging from lighter to robust with spice.
I love a turkey that is mahogany on the outside and juicy on the inside. This turkey has a quick brine for about an hour, giving it locked in moisture. The orange sauce that is used as a basting liquid gives the outside of the bird that wonderful colour!!
Up your usual turkey to a new level and warm up the spices with Spanish flavors, then serve a gorgeous Cosecha or Crianza Rioja wines to match! Your company will love the new flavors you have added to their holidays!
Cosecha wines act as a beautiful starter glass to your dinners. Fresh, fruity, and not too heavy, they pair well with appetizers, white meats, and simple pastas without overweighing the palate with rich flavors. Rioja’s Crianza classification lets you know that each and every wine is at least three years old and has been aged in casks for a year or more.
Here is a peak of those dried fruits and vegetables that accompany the turkey. The fruit is soaked briefly in the orange sauce to plump them up before cooking inside the bird. Carrots and onions along with fresh thyme adorn the bird while it is cooking and are also served with the dried fruits and nuts.
Enjoy the holidays and consider sharing some great Rioja wines with your family and friends!
Connect with Rioja wines on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
SPANISH SPICED TURKEY
PREP TIME
30 mins
COOK TIME
2 hours
TOTAL TIME
2 hours 30 mins
INGREDIENTS
Turkey
1 Bird
4 quarts water
1 cup salt
1 cup sugar
Carrots & Onions for roasting
Fresh thyme
Orange Sauce
2 Cups OJ
1 sml yellow onion
4 cloves of garlic
Salt, to taste
Honey, to taste
4 cups stock
OJ Zest
Stuffing
Prunes
Pine Nuts
Apricots
Spices
Fennel seed
Cumin seed
Smoked Spanish Paprika
White Pepper
Mustard Seeds
Chili flakes
Salt
Equipment
Cheese cloth
String
INSTRUCTIONS
Bring to a boil the water, sugar and salt. Cool and then immerse turkey in the brining liquid for about an hour.
Toast pine nuts until golden on the stovetop.
In another pan, saute onions & garlic until soft and fragrant.
Add orange juice and stock and reduce by ⅓, stirring frequently.
Season with honey and salt according to your preference. Pour over the apricots and prunes and allow fruit to soak.
Strain fruit, reserving the liquid, and stir in the toasted pine nuts. Using cheesecloth and string, wrap and tie the prunes, apricots and pine nuts into a bundle.
Combine spices in a bowl.
Stuff bird, sitting in a roasting pan, with bundle and rub with spices. Arrange onions, carrots, and fresh thyme around the turkey.
Roast at 375F for about 2 hours, or until done, depending on the size of the bird.
Baste occasionally with the strained orange sauce while roasting.
When serving, remove the cheesecloth insert and arrange its contents around the turkey with the carrots and onions. Garnish with fresh thyme.
1 Bird
4 quarts water
1 cup salt
1 cup sugar
Carrots & Onions for roasting
Fresh thyme
Orange Sauce
2 Cups OJ
1 sml yellow onion
4 cloves of garlic
Salt, to taste
Honey, to taste
4 cups stock
OJ Zest
Stuffing
Prunes
Pine Nuts
Apricots
Spices
Fennel seed
Cumin seed
Smoked Spanish Paprika
White Pepper
Mustard Seeds
Chili flakes
Salt
Equipment
Cheese cloth
String
INSTRUCTIONS
Bring to a boil the water, sugar and salt. Cool and then immerse turkey in the brining liquid for about an hour.
Toast pine nuts until golden on the stovetop.
In another pan, saute onions & garlic until soft and fragrant.
Add orange juice and stock and reduce by ⅓, stirring frequently.
Season with honey and salt according to your preference. Pour over the apricots and prunes and allow fruit to soak.
Strain fruit, reserving the liquid, and stir in the toasted pine nuts. Using cheesecloth and string, wrap and tie the prunes, apricots and pine nuts into a bundle.
Combine spices in a bowl.
Stuff bird, sitting in a roasting pan, with bundle and rub with spices. Arrange onions, carrots, and fresh thyme around the turkey.
Roast at 375F for about 2 hours, or until done, depending on the size of the bird.
Baste occasionally with the strained orange sauce while roasting.
When serving, remove the cheesecloth insert and arrange its contents around the turkey with the carrots and onions. Garnish with fresh thyme.
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