World Recipes

South American Roast Turkey (Pavita Rellena a la Criolla)

1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
2 eggs
4 cups soft bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped pimento-stuffed olives
2 large peaches, peeled and coarsely chopped, or
    1 (16 ounce) package frozen unsweetened peach slices,
    thawed and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (12 pound) turkey, giblets and neck reserved
Olive oil
Gravy

Cook and stir onion and sausage in skillet over medium heat until sausage is brown; drain. Beat eggs with fork in 2 1/2-quart bowl. Add sausage mixture, bread crumbs, olives, peaches, oregano, salt and pepper; toss.

Remove giblets and neck from turkey; prepare for Gravy. Fill wishbone area of turkey with stuffing. Fasten neck skin to back with skewer. Fold wings across back with tips touching. Fill body cavity lightly. Tuck drumsticks under band of skin at tail, or tie or skewer to tail.

Place turkey, breast side up, on rack in shallow roasting pan. Insert meat thermometer so tip is in thickest part of inside thigh muscle or thickest part of breast mead and does not touch bone. Brush with oil. Roast at 325 degrees F, brushing with pan juices every 45 minutes, until meat thermometer registers 185 degrees F, 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Let turkey stand 20 minutes before carving.

Prepare Gravy; serve with turkey.

Yields 12 to 14 servings.

Gravy
Giblets and neck of turkey
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup turkey drippings (fat and juices)
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup half-and-half
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Heat giblets, neck, water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Remove giblets and neck; chop giblets and discard neck. Reserve broth for gravy. Pour and scrape all drippings from roasting pan. Pour 2/3 cup drippings into 3-quart saucepan; stir in flour. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick and bubbly; remove from heat.

Stir in reserved broth, half-and -half and chopped giblets. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly; boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in salt and pepper.

Asado a la Peruana (Peruvian Pot Roast)

This is wonderful served with mashed potatoes and the wonderful gravy the roast makes while cooking.

10 to 12 cloves fresh garlic
1 teaspoon cumin seed
2 teaspoons salt, divided
2 teaspoons black pepper, divided
1 (4 to 4 1/2 pound) boneless round tip roast
1/4 cup vegetable oil (for browning roast)
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 to 1 1/2 cups red wine
Water
1 medium onion, chopped into 1 1/2-inch slices
Cornstarch mixed with water, as needed

Mash fresh garlic. Mix garlic well with cumin seed and 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper to make a paste.

With a knife, cut 1-inch deep slices around roast (slices should be 1 1/2 inches apart. Stuff the slices with the garlic mixture.

In a large pot with a tight-fitting lid, heat the oil. Add the roast and brown it well on all sides. When the roast is browned, pour in the tomato sauce and wine and enough water to bring the liquid level to the middle of the roast. Add onion with 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Stir well, without removing the roast from the pan. Cover pan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer over low heat, turning the roast every 15 to 20 minutes. When the meat is done, about 2 hours, remove it from the pot.

Add cornstarch mixed with water to gravy, as needed, to thicken. Serve sliced roast with gravy and mashed potatoes.

Makes 6 servings.

South American Coconut Pastries

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
5 tablespoons orange juice
1 egg white
Coconut Filling

Sift dry ingredients into bowl; cut in butter. Mix in orange juice, a little at a time, until ball of dough is formed (dough will be rather dry). Press together lightly. Wrap in wax paper and chill 1 hour.

Roll the dough 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured board. Cut with a 3 1/2 inch cookie cutter. Put 1 teaspoon Coconut Filling on half of each round. Moisten edges and fold over. Seal edges with a fork. Arrange on greased baking sheet and brush with slightly beaten egg white. Bake at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes, or until delicately browned.

Makes 1 1/2 to 2 dozen.

Coconut Filling
1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup evaporated milk
2 egg yolks, beaten
3 tablespoons melted butter

Mix coconut, cornstarch, sugar and evaporated milk. Cook over low heat, stirring for 5 minutes. Add egg yolks and butter, stirring. Stir over low heat for 2 minutes. Cool.

Pork Stew with Beer (Seco de Chanco - Ecuador)

1 (2 pound) boneless pork shoulder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (8 1/4 ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained
1 red serrano chile, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 (12 ounce) can or bottle beer
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
Hot cooked rice

Trim fat from pork; cut pork into 1-inch cubes. Heat oil in Dutch oven until hot. Cook pork over medium heat, stirring frequently, until all liquid is evaporated and pork is brown, about 25 minutes; remove with slotted spoon. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of fat from Dutch oven. 

Cook and stir onion and garlic in Dutch oven until onion is tender. Add tomatoes, chili, cilantro, salt, cumin and oregano; break up tomatoes with fork. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 10 minutes.

Stir in pork and beer. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in red pepper. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered until pork is tender and sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes; skim off fat.

Serve with rice.

Yields 4 servings.

Plantain Chips (Patacones)

If sliced thinly, these are crispy chips. If thickly sliced, they have a creamy center and make a delicious vegetable side dish.

3 large green plantains, pared
    and very thinly sliced
Vegetable oil
Salt

Cover plantain slices with ice water. Let stand 30 minutes; drain. Pat dry.

Heat 1 to 1 1/2 inches oil to 375 degrees F. Fry 12 to 14 plantain slices at a time, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon. Drain; sprinkle with salt.

Green Beans in Tomato Sauce

This is popular in Northern Spain and Portugal.

1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds green beans, cut into 3-inch pieces
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup minced parsley
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Cook and stir onion and garlic in oil in 3-quart saucepan until onion is tender. Add remaining ingredients except cheese. Cover and simmer over low heat until beans are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Yields 6 servings.

Baked Crab with Port (Santola ao Porto)

The Portuguese santola is a hard-shelled crab with tender, sweet meat.

1/4 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
1/4 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons tawny port wine
1 tablespoon capers
1 tablespoon diced pimentos
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 scallion, with top, sliced
6 drops red pepper sauce
1 pound lump crabmeat, cartilage removed
2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
1 teaspoon butter or margarine, melted
Snipped parsley
Lemon wedges

Mix mayonnaise, whipping cream, wine, capers, pimentos, mustard, salt, scallion and pepper sauce in medium-size bowl. Gently stir in crabmeat. Divide mixture among 4 ungreased scallop baking shells or individual casseroles.

Mix bread crumbs and margarine; sprinkle over crab mixture. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees F until mixture is bubbly and crumbs are golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Sprinkle with parsley, and serve with lemon wedges.

Brazilian Seafood Stew (Vatapa)

This is a hot and spicy codfish and shrimp stew which comes from Bahia, a coastal region, where foods have been influenced by Africans who were brought to Brazil as slaves.

1 (5 ounce) package dried shrimp (about 2 cups)
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 to 5 Serrano chiles, seeded and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
3 cups coconut milk
1 (16 ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup soft bread crumbs
1 cup natural peanut butter
3 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
1 pound raw shrimp, shelled and de-veined
1 pound cod fillets, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Cover dried shrimp with warm water. Let stand 15 minutes; drain. Finely chop shrimp; reserve.

Cook and stir onion, chiles, garlic, paprika and red pepper in 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until onion is tender. Stir in coconut milk, tomatoes, salt and reserved dried shrimp. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 15 minutes. Stir in bread crumbs and peanut butter until well blended and mixture is consistency of thick sauce; keep warm over low heat.

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in skillet until hot. Cook and stir raw shrimp in oil over medium heat until pink, about 3 minutes. Remove shrimp to sauce mixture with slotted spoon. Add more oil to skillet if necessary. Cook and stir fish until it flakes easily with fork, 3 to 4 minutes. Gently stir fish into sauce mixture. Sprinkle with cilantro; serve with salsa if desired.

Yields 8 servings.