GWJamaica Cook Book

Ingredients

Chestnut and Fruit
2 cup fresh or canned chestnuts
6 quince or 3 tart apples
1 small Lemon
1/4 lb butter
1 cup apple cider
1 cup hard apple cider or apple
1 cup fresh chicken or turkey
3 tbsp applejack or calvados
Salt
Pepper

Turkey
12 lb turkey
1/4 lb butter
Salt
Pepper

Preparation

Chestnut and Fruit: If using fresh chestnuts, heat oven to 400oF. With a small, sharp knife, cut a slit in each fresh chestnut, spread in a shallow baking pan, and roast for 15 to 20 minutes. Peel off both outer and inner skins while still warm. If they cool and become difficult to peel, reheat. Peel and core quince and cut into 1-inch chunks. Squeeze 1 tablespoon lemon juice over quince and toss. Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large frying pan. Add chestnuts and quince and sauté over low heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the ciders and stock, and bring to a simmer, and reduce liquid to about 1/2 cup, about 20 minutes. Add applejack or Calvados and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Chestnut and fruit mixture can be made a day ahead.

Turkey: Heat oven to 425oF. Rub the turkey with the butter and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Put turkey on a rack in a roasting pan and roast in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 325oF and cook turkey, basting often, until internal temperature reaches 140oF, about 3 1/2 to 4 hours. (Allow approximately 20 minutes a pound for roasting.) Gently reheat chestnut and fruit mixture. Carve turkey and serve with chestnuts and fruit on the side.