Even if I hadn’t printed the menu and been teasing about it forever, you probably could have guessed that the main dish would be some version of Spicy Jerk Turkey Drumsticks. This is a Caribbean Thanksgiving Menu after all and jerk chicken is about as Caribbean as it gets. I had to keep things interesting though, as well as keep the attention on classic Thanksgiving ingredients, so I changed things up just a bit starting with the poultry. For Thanksgiving, turkey kicks chicken out of the pan, and because I really love dark meat, I picked drumsticks. One of my main goals was to create a dish that I could make ahead and not have to worry about taking prime oven space the day of, so pulled meat that I could warm in the crockpot was a sensible choice that made for a fun day for the cook as well as the guests without compromising on flavor. The rich, moist, Spicy Jerk Turkey Drumsticks were paired with MacRostie’s syrah, (it’s good to be related to an amazing winemaker who brings you an entire case of magnums for the event) which was one of the best wine pairings I’ve ever had. Just saying. The Spicy Jerk Turkey Drumsticks were also the perfect contrast to a rich creamy Lima Bean Gratin and the Caribbean “stuffing” that was my Rice and Peas Thanksgiving style. It was actually amazing that after the Spicy Jerk Turkey Drumsticks we had any room left for dessert. But somehow we managed.
- 4-5 pounds turkey drumsticks
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 1 small fennel bulb
- 12 garlic cloves
- 15 small habanero chiles, stemmed, seeded*
- 1 leek; rinsed, trimmed and chopped
- 1 3-inch piece peeled ginger, sliced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1 bunch sage leaves
- 1 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1 + tablespoon whole allspice berries
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon powdered adobo seasoning
- Preheat oven to 400° F.
- Add all ingredients (minus the turkey) and ¼ cup water in a blender or food processor.
- Purée until smooth.
- Coat turkey legs with a cup of the jerk seasoning and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour before roasting.
- Cook until skin is crisp and a thermometer inserted into the thickest parts of chicken registers 165° F (45-60 minutes depending on how many you’re cooking).
- Let cool completely.
- Remove the meat from the bones and skin in large pieces (reserve bones and skin for making turkey stock).
- Store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use.
- The day you plan to serve turkey, place the meat in a slow cooker and add 1 cup of the jerk sauce.
- Heat the remaining jerk sauce on low until it’s cooked through. If you want it to serve more like gravy, add some of your turkey stock and a little white wine to taste.
- Serve Turkey with Lima Bean Gratin and Rice and Peas Thanksgiving Style.
- *To protect your hands from the chiles' heat, wear latex gloves or use a plastic bag, like I did.
