Pavo trufado de Navidad


In many parts of Spain the center piece of Christmas dinner is the "pavo trufado de Navidad" or Christmas turkey stuffed with truffles.

Recipe for up to 10 people:
  • 1 turkey of 4 kg.
  • ½ kg. minced lean pork
  • 1 kg. minced veal
  • Salt and ground black pepper
  • 1 glass of brandy
  • 2 large glass of dry sherry
  • 90g black truffles
  • 150 g "jamon serrano"
  • 200 g sliced pork belly
  • 6 eggs
First bone the turkey. Place the turkey upside down, cut the skin along the spine, and using the fingers, ease away the skin in one piece, first on one side of the backbone and then on the other. Take the breast apart and flat them out by opening them like a book making small cuts into the thickest part of the flesh, cut the fillets into strips. Bone the legs and wings and mince it .

Put the pork and veal mince into a bowl along with the minced turkey and mix them well. Season with salt and ground black pepper, add the chopped truffles and the ham and pork belly cut into fine strips on the top of it. Sprinkle the mixture with the brandy and sherry and leave to marinate for 4 hours.

Remove the sliced truffles and the strips of ham and belly of pork, and reserve. Then fold in the beaten eggs.

Spread out the skin of the turkey on a clean surface and lay the fillets on top of it. spread some of the meat mixture onto the breasts. Then put a layer of strips of ham , pork belly , turkey fillets and slices of truffle, repeat until the ingredients are all used up. Using a stout needle, sew together the edges of the skin and secure the holes made by the wings and legs.

Place the sew-up skin with its filling on a clean muslin cloth, roll it and secure the lot by a string on both sides.

Put the roll into a large saucepan, together with the carcasses cut in small pieces and cut up vegetables and pour over some dry sherry. Cover with 3 liters of cold water . Bring to the boil and allow to cook at a gentle simmer for 3 hours. Make sure that it is evenly cooked, then remove the roll and leave it on a dish to drain and cool.

Remove the cloth and place the roll onto a wire rack for few minutes to strain. Wrap the roll in some cling film and put it on a dish, place a chopping board on top, and put it to press , in the fridge for 12 hours.Cut the roll into slices about 1 cm thick.

Serve with stewed apples and plums and decorate with slices of fresh pineapples and orange and with maraschino cherries.


Gluten free, lactose free, nut free, suitable for pregnant women.

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