I like changing up flavors when it comes to cooking up my Thanksgiving Turkey every year – this year I decided to go Indo Chinese or Hakka with this Schezwan Turkey. I paired it with Fried Rice & an Asian inspired Turkey gravy!

I was almost NOT going to film a Thanksgiving Turkey this year – work and life and changed, & I have slowed down, but I was at Walmart picking up touch up dye (don’t judge), & a Butterball was staring me in the face almost challenging me … and I LOVE a good challenge, so I decided to go all Hakka Chinese this year with my Schezwan Turkey. I would make a leftover video but there are none 🙂

Schezwan Turkey

3.14 from 145 votes
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Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

Brine
  • 2 litres hot Water
  • 1/2 cup Salt
  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 2 inches Cinnamon
  • 6 red Chillies
  • 3 Star Anise
  • 3 Black Cardamons
  • 1 tsp mixed Black & white peppercorns
  • 2 litres Cold water
  • Couple slices of Ginger
Turkey & Veg
  • 12 lbs frozen & thawed
  • 2 cups Carrots Green Peppers, Shallots and Mushrooms
Schezwan sauce/marinade
  • 10 Kashmiri Chillies 7 oz – 200 gms
  • 20 Regular Chinese Chillies 7 oz – 200 gms
  • 1 tsp Sichuan Peppercorns
  • 1/2 cup Oil
  • 1/4 minced Ginger
  • 1/4 minced Garlic
  • 1 tbsp Spring Onions
  • 2 tbsps light Soya sauce
  • 2 tbsps Vinegar
  • 2 tbsps Ketchup
  • Salt to taste
  • Pinch of Sugar
  • Fresh cracked Pepper

Method
 

  1. If using a frozen Turkey, defrost according to package instructions
  2. Rinse and clear the Turkey cavity
  3. Prepare the brine by first dissolving everything in hot water, add cold water and add the brine to the turkey when cool
  4. Refrigerate for 18 hours
  5. After drain all of the brine and pat dry
  6. Prepare the schezwan sauce by boiling the chillies and Sichuan peppercorns and grinding to a paste
  7. Heat oil and saute the minced ginger, garlic and spring onions
  8. Add the ground chilli paste
  9. Add the soya, vinegar and ketchup
  10. Add salt, sugar and pepper
  11. Cool and keep aside
  12. Add a layer to the turkey and place over a rack
  13. Add the veg
  14. Cover and cook for an hour
  15. The turkey will cook for about 4 hours
  16. After an hour, add the turkey neck, liver and another layer of the marinade and cook for another hour covered
  17. After this, uncover and continue cooking, adding layers of the marinade and basting the turkey in the juices
  18. The turkey is cooked when it registers at 165 – 170 degrees in the thigh