SMOKED TURKEY WITH BLUE CORN STUFFING AND CRANBERRY SALSA

INGREDIENTS

1 turkey
1/2 cup garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons black pepper
1 Tablespoon salt
3 ounces achiote paste (Annatto)
1/2 cup olive oil melted

Blue Corn Stuffing:
1 recipe blue corn bread (see below&rpar
3 ounces pumpkin seeds, toasted
1 1/2 pounds smoked sausage, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 apples, chopped
2 Tablespoons cumin seeds, toasted
24 ounces poultry stock

Blue Corn Bread:
12 ounces blue corn meal
3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons salt
2 jalapeno peppers, minced
1 cup corn kernels
2 cups milk
12 eggs
1 pound butter, melted

Cranberry Salsa:
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
10 cilantro leaves
1 bag fresh cranberries
1 can mangoes in heavy syrup
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 tsp. salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Rinse turkey well, and pat dry. Make a paste with all the ingredients. Rub the paste all over the turkey. Smoke-cook at 225°F for 10 - 12 hours with hickory wood.

Blue Corn Stuffing: Place smoked sausage in a sauté pan and render the fat. Remove meat from pan and set aside. Place onions and apples in the pan. Cook until the apples and onions are caramelized. Remove from the pan. Combine meat, onions, apples, pumpkin seeds, and cumin. Mix well and add crumbled blue corn bread. Moisten with broth and place in a prepared casserole. Bake uncovered in a 350°F oven for 20 minutes.

Blue Corn Bread: Mix together dry ingredients. Mix together milk, eggs, and melted butter. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Do not over mix. Place in greased pan. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

Cranberry Salsa: Place jalapeno and cilantro in a food processor and mince. Add cranberries and mangoes with half of the syrup. Process until the mixture is somewhat chunky. Add lime juice and salt. Add more syrup if desired.
Yield: 10 servings