Puerto Ricans are the friendliest and the most outgoing people you will find on the surface of the Earth. They are always in the party mood, especially during thanksgiving until mid January. However, they do celebrate New Year and Christmas like no other place but for them the most important festival is the Three Kings Festival on January 6th. The festival is being celebrated since 1884. It is an honor to the Three Kings who brought gifts of incense, gold and myrrh for Infant Jesus. While the holiday is celebrated throughout Puerto Rico, the largest gathering is found in a town outside Ponce, called Juana Diaz. People from various countries and of different ages gather in this small town to watch and participate in the festival. And the best part of the whole festival is the numerous delicacies cooked in order to enjoy.
Thanksgiving was not always a traditional holiday in Puerto Rico. However, families living there gave birth to this new tradition of cooking delicious dishes on thanksgiving. A traditional thanksgiving menu would contain Pavochon, Mofongo stuffing, Arroz con Gandules (rice with pigeon peas), Tostones, and Tembleque or dulce de leche.
The below mentioned food can be consumed by 5 people so the ingredients you need are: a 12-15 lb turkey. Start with prepping the turkey the day before Thanksgiving so that you give enough time for all the seasonings to enter the bird.
Two Days or One Day Before:
To thaw your bird slow you can stick it in the refrigerator two days before or for fast thawing submerge it in its wrapping (DO NOT take wrapping off) in your tub or a deep sink in cold water. Make sure the entire bird is submerged. The bigger the bird the longer it’ll take to thaw. Big turkeys like the ones I cook usually take 2 days to thaw out in the refrigerator.
The Day Before:
Season your bird with Adobo, inside and out. Be generous. Your guests will appreciate it. No one wants a bland turkey. Gather your black pepper, garlic salt, oregano and paprika and rub them all over the bird. Poke holes in your bird with a fork so that the seasonings will soak into its skin. Set the bird back in the fridge.
THANKSGIVING MORNING:
I usually begin cooking my bird around 4 a.m., which only leaves me room to do other things like pull out my tree and decorations and set up other dishes. Begin by preparing your mofongo stuffing. Happy Cooking!