Name: Pavochón con Arroz con Gandules
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT1H40M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT13H0M0.000S
Yield: 10 to 12 servings
Cuisine: caribbean
Ingredients: 3/4 cup sour orange juice or the juice of 1 large orange; Juice of 2 limes; 1/2 cup olive oil; 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped; 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and roughly chopped; 1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and roughly chopped; 12 cloves garlic; 1 cup cilantro leaves; 1 tablespoon garlic powder; 1 tablespoon onion powder; 1 tablespoon ground cumin; 1 tablespoon ground coriander; 1 tablespoon dried oregano; 2 tablespoons achiote paste; 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt; One 12- to 13-pound turkey, thawed if frozen, giblets removed, turkey patted dry; 1 lemon, halved; 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature; 1/2 cup vegetable oil; 2 tablespoons achiote seeds; 1 large bunch fresh thyme; 5 sprigs fresh rosemary; 1 large yellow onion, quartered; 1 lemon, quartered; 1 1/2 cups homemade turkey stock, store-bought chicken broth or water; Banana leaves soaked in water for 10 minutes; Arroz con Gandules, recipe follows, for serving; 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil; 2 pounds ham steak, cut in cubes; 1/2 cup Sofrito, recipe follows

Directions

Watch how to make this recipe.

Special equipment:

kitchen twine; a large roasting pan with a V-shape wire rack

Make the turkey and marinade: In a large food processor, combine the sour orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, onion, red and green bell peppers, garlic, cilantro, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, achiote paste and salt. Pulse on a few times to start and then process for a few minutes until a paste forms.
Rub the skin of the turkey with the lemon. Carefully separate the skin from the breast meat using your fingers. Rub the butter all over the outside of the turkey, as well as underneath the skin between the breast meat and the skin. Now do the same with the marinade, making sure it gets underneath the skin as well as in the cavity of the turkey. Cover the turkey and let it marinate in the fridge overnight.
About an hour before you want to start roasting, take the turkey out of the fridge, uncover it and place it in a large roasting pan fitted with a V-shape wire rack. Let it come to room temperature before cooking, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, make the achiote oil: Place a small bowl with a fine-mesh sieve next to the stove. Place the vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Once it gets hot, add the achiote seeds. Let this cook for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, until you see the oil turning a bright orange color. Immediately pour this into your sieve set over the bowl. Discard the achiote seeds. Set the oil aside.
When ready to roast the turkey, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
For roasting: Stuff the cavity of the turkey with the thyme, rosemary, onion and lemon. Tie the turkey legs together with kitchen twine. Using a pastry brush, brush the achiote oil all over the skin of the turkey. Pour the stock into the pan. Cover the turkey with damp banana leaves to retain all the moisture and to add more flavor.
Roast the turkey for about 2 hours. Take the turkey out of the oven and remove and discard the banana leaves. Ladle the pan juices over the turkey to baste it. Roast for another 1 hour until deep golden brown and a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the turkey reads 165 degrees F. Let your turkey rest for at least 30 minutes before carving.
While the turkey rests, drain the pan juices through a mesh sieve. Skim excess fat from the juices and keep warm until ready to serve.
Carve and serve the turkey with the pan juices and Arroz con Gandules.

Arroz con Gandules:

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, combine the olive oil and ham and cook, stirring occasionally, until the ham starts to brown on all sides.
Add 1/2 cup of the Sofrito, the Sazòn Completa and sazòn with achiote. Cook, stirring, for a few minutes. Add the tomato sauce, water, rice, pigeon peas with the liquid from the can, bay leaves, olives, brine and salt. Taste for seasoning. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook over low heat for about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, uncover and fluff up the rice with a fork. Cover the pan and let the rice steam for about 5 more minutes off the heat. Remove the bay leaves.