Turkey is one of the most favorite birds to be cooked by humans. Christians prepare a big thanksgiving meal using the turkey. Cooking turkey in more typical in America compared to other regions. According to historical evidence, Americans preferred cooking bigger fowls for parties since they could serve more people in one cooking. Therefore, turkey took place for all the other types of meat. Christopher Columbus introduced turkey to Europeans. This bird entered Europe from Turkey, and that is why English people call it turkey! This evidence can also teach us about the way that turkey paved its way to Asia. Moreover, you can find stories, including turkey cooking in old Iranian books. Nowadays, Iranians make a stuffed turkey using different vegetables and herbs that have a delightful taste. In this post, I am going to discuss the turkey cooking method and the stuffing of Persian Turkey which they call Booghalamoon Shekampor (بوقلمون شکم پر).
Different types of Persian Turkey:
Iranians prepare turkey in many different methods. They might use it as chicken and in the stews. Using turkey instead of other meats is very typical in some regions of Iran. Sometimes, they may roast it entirely without adding any stuffings or side ingredients. Nevertheless, one of the very delicious turkeys that you can experience is the Persian stuffed turkey. The stuffed turkey can also have different kinds depending on the stuffing. Iranians usually use some herbs like thyme and sauces like pomegranate or orange sauce.
Important Nutrition Facts of Persian Turkey:
Turkey can have different calories and nutrition, depending on which part you eat. It is one of the weirdest meat sources which includes both red and white meat. 65% of the meat is white and is placed around the breast; 35% of it is red meat and is placed around the thighs and claves. 100gr of Persian turkey has about 170 kcal. Moreover, it has 29.36 gr protein and 5gr fat. Furthermore, it includes 1.8 mg iron per 100gr which is a notable amount among flow meats. It also contains other essential minerals and vitamins for the body.
Vegetarian tips:
There is no vegetarian kind of this food available. The main ingredient of the food is turkey which as animal sources and it is irreplaceable with any other components. You can enjoy the side vegetables that are usually served with the turkey if you are a vegan and you are being served with a Persian Turkey.
Serving style of Persian Turkey:
Iranians serve Persian stuffed turkey for dinner or lunch and as the main course. Since it is not a very typical dish at Iranians’ tables, they cook it on exceptional occasions. It is also not typical in every region; most people in the north of Iran, cook this food. They serve it with some vegetables and sauces like pomegranate sauce or orange sauce. A cup of soup or a dish of salad can be the right choice as an appetizer and side dish next to this food. All drinks are welcomed next to the turkey, but Iranians swerve Doogh (Persian yogurt drink) and sweet soda drinks such as Cola next to it.
What are the ingredients of Persian Turkey?
The main ingredient is turkey. The type of turkey and freshness of it is essential. Try to buy your turkey fresh and new. Moreover, you need some vegetables such as celery and garlic. Some herbs like thyme, scallions, and parsley are the other critical components. Orange juice is another ingredient that we are going to use in this recipe. Some spices such as ginger, salt, and peppers are other components in cooking Persian turkey. Saffron, white vinegar, and sugar include the other ingredients we are going to use in preparing a Persian turkey. You may also need a needle and threads to sew some parts of the turkey after filling.
How to cook Persian Turkey?
To start cooking a Persian turkey, heat your oven beforehand. Then, you should cut the neck out and cut the arms to the point that you can pour orange juice and melted butter into the turkey. At this point, sparkle some salt and pepper, too. In a pot, mix all the remained orange juice, spices, brewed saffron, butter, and the vinegar. Polish the inside part of the turkey with the mixture and place the combination of celery, thyme, scallion, parsley, and garlic inside it. Close the turkey, using toothpicks, wooden skewers, or by sewing it. Finally, cover the aluminum foil and put it into the oven.
Recipe:
The sufficiency of a turkey depends on the size of your turkey. An average turkey needs about 4 hours to cook. Moreover, you may need 30 minutes to prepare the ingredients.
Persian Turkey
Ingredients
- An average turkey (about 6.6lbs)
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 2 cup of orange juice
- 1 teaspoon ground salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brewed saffron
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1 stalk of scallion
- 1 teaspoon thyme ground
- 3 oz chopped celeries (1 stalk)
- 1 tablespoon fresh shredded ginger
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
Instructions
- Clean and wash the turkey; cut the neck out, and be careful not to tear the breast.
- Open it up by cutting arms or anywhere else you think you can attach easier then.
- Polish the breast and inside of the turkey with orange juice and melted butter
- Heat the oven to the 170’C.
- In a pot, mix the remained orange juice, butter and spices along with saffron.
- Mix the herbs and vegetables well together and pout them inside the turkey along with the sauce.
- Close the turkey, using toothpicks, skewers or by sewing it.
- Cover it with an aluminium foil and cook it in the oven for about 4 hours.
- Brush the turkey every one 1 hour by the vinegar.
- Finally, mix the vinegar and sugar and pour it on the turkey.
Notes
Uniqop’s advice:
- For a better taste, you can marinate the turkey by polishing butter and pepper and salt a night before cooking.
- Note that the time of cooking varies by the size of a turkey.
- You can use french fries, parsley, basil and other vegetables of your favourite as a side garnish.
