Relleno Negro Yucateco

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg turkey legs and thighs, or bone-in chicken thighs
• 100 g recado negro (chilmole) paste
• 500 g minced pork
• 6 eggs
• 400 g ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 large sprigs epazote
• 120 ml sour orange juice, or 80 ml orange juice with 40 ml lime juice
• 2 tbsp masa harina
• 2 tbsp lard
• 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tsp fine salt
• 12 corn tortillas, to serve

Before you cook

• Break the recado negro into small pieces and put it in a bowl.
• Pour over the sour orange juice and 200 ml warm water, then mash it with a fork until it dissolves into a smooth black slurry.
• Season the turkey all over with 1 teaspoon of the salt.
• Chop the tomatoes, onion and garlic.

Steps

1. Lower 4 of the eggs into boiling water and cook them for 10 minutes.
2. Drain the eggs, cool them under cold water and peel them.
3. Heat the lard in a large casserole over medium heat.
4. Fry the onion and garlic for 5 minutes, until soft and translucent.
5. Add the tomatoes, oregano, allspice and bay leaves and cook for 8 minutes, until the tomatoes break down.
6. Stir in half the black recado slurry and cook it for 3 minutes, until it smells toasty rather than raw.
7. Lay the turkey pieces in the pot and pour in 2 litres of water.
8. Bring it to a boil, skim the grey foam from the surface and turn the heat down to a bare simmer.
9. Cover and simmer for 1 hour, until the turkey is nearly tender.
10. Mix the minced pork with the remaining black recado slurry, the 2 remaining raw eggs and 1 teaspoon of salt until sticky and uniform.
11. Divide the pork mixture into 4 and flatten each piece on a square of cling film.
12. Set a peeled boiled egg on each patty and wrap the meat around it into a smooth ball, twisting the film tight to shape it.
13. Unwrap the balls and lower them gently into the simmering pot.
14. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, until the meatballs are firm and the broth is glossy black.
15. Whisk the masa harina with 100 ml cold water until completely lump free.
16. Pour the masa slurry into the pot in a thin stream, stirring, and simmer for 8 minutes until the broth thickens to the body of single cream.
17. Push the epazote sprigs under the surface and taste for salt.
18. Serve each bowl with turkey, half a meatball so the egg shows, plenty of black broth and hot tortillas.