Évora-Style Christmas Turkey

The Évora-style Christmas turkey starts the day before: a soak in water with lemon, onion and pepper prepares the bird for roasting the following day. In the oven, olive oil helps brown the skin. Serve with boiled chestnuts, as suggested by the recipe collected in Évora.

Serves: about 8 people
Advance preparation: 24 hours of marinating
Oven: about 2 to 2 hours and 30 minutes, depending on the size of the bird

Ingredients

• 1 whole turkey, cleaned, weighing about 2.5 to 3 kg
• 4 to 5 lemons
• 2 unpeeled onions, well washed
• 4 l cold water, or enough to cover the turkey
• 40 g salt per 4 l of water, adjusting proportionally if using more water
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 80 ml extra virgin olive oil, such as Azeite Cartuxa Virgem Extra 2026 – 500 ml (tube)
• Boiled chestnuts to serve, optional

Method

1. Prepare the marinade the day before. Choose a food-safe container large enough to cover the turkey and fit in the fridge. Dissolve the salt in the cold water. Slice the lemons and cut the washed, unpeeled onions into pieces. Add them to the water with the pepper.
2. Soak the turkey. Submerge the bird completely in the marinade, cover and refrigerate for 24 hours. If it starts to float, keep it submerged with a clean plate. Do not leave the meat to marinate at room temperature.
3. Prepare the oven. The next day, preheat the oven to 180 °C. Remove the turkey from the marinade, discard the liquid and aromatics, and dry the skin thoroughly with kitchen paper. Place the bird in a roasting tin and coat it with the olive oil.
4. Roast. Roast for about 2 to 2 hours and 30 minutes. Baste occasionally with the juices in the tin. If the skin browns too early, cover it loosely with aluminium foil. The cooking time is a guide: always check the thickest part of the breast and thigh before removing it from the oven.
5. Check that it is cooked and leave to rest. If you have a thermometer, the thickest part of the breast and thigh should reach 74 °C, without touching the bone. If you do not have one, make a discreet cut in both areas: the meat should be completely cooked, with no raw or pink parts next to the bone. If in doubt, roast for a little longer and check again. Remove from the oven, leave to rest for 20 minutes and serve with boiled chestnuts.

Tips for a juicy turkey

Drying the skin thoroughly before coating it with olive oil helps it brown. Every oven and bird is different; do not rely only on the clock or the outer colour. A kitchen thermometer provides a more reliable confirmation that it is cooked.

Wine pairing

To accompany the turkey and chestnuts, serve Pêra-Manca Branco 2023 – DOC Alentejo–Évora, from Fundação Eugénio de Almeida, chilled.

Advance preparation and storage

Start the marinade the day before and keep it in the fridge at all times. You can boil the chestnuts while the turkey is roasting. After the meal, cover and refrigerate the leftovers as soon as they have cooled, and reheat them thoroughly before serving.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make this recipe without a thermometer?

Yes, but do not rely only on the browned skin. Open the breast and the thickest part of the thigh next to the bone; there should be no raw or pink meat. If it is not fully cooked, return it to the oven and check again. A thermometer remains the most reliable option.

Can I leave the turkey to soak outside the fridge?

No. As the marinade lasts 24 hours, use a container that fits in the fridge and keep the bird completely covered by the liquid.

Do the chestnuts go in the oven with the turkey?

In the recipe collected, they are suggested boiled as an accompaniment. Prepare them separately and serve them with the carved turkey.

Bring the Alentejo to the table

Roast the turkey with Azeite Cartuxa Virgem Extra 2026 – 500 ml (tube) and serve it with Pêra-Manca Branco 2023. For another Christmas option, discover our cod with pennyroyal recipe.

Source

Confraria Gastronómica do Alentejo, Carta Gastronómica do Alentejo (2013), p. 483. Christmas turkey recipe collected in Évora in an interview with Aurélia.

Recipe collected in Évora and adapted by Herdade do Estacal for the “À Mesa com o Alentejo” blog. The book describes the 24-hour marinade, roasting with fat of choice and chestnuts as an accompaniment; the quantities, temperature and oven times are practical guidance added in this version.

Illustrative image generated for this article.