Food on the brain: The recipe for Port Wine Guava Glaze

(This post edited Dec. 17 to add an ingredient — the 8 ounces of guava paste. Sorry. Everyone needs an editor.)

Bon Appetit magazine had a special section about 6 years ago illustrating some holiday recipes from around the world. It included Chef Andrew DiCataldo’s recipe for a turkey basted with Port Wine Guava Glaze.

I made it that year. I think it was 2000. Out of my oven came the most glorious bird you’ve ever seen. That sweet and aromatic glaze gave me fama among the guests.

Then I lost the recipe and made myself crazy looking for it before a foodie friend found the issue and copied it for me.

I will never lose it again.

Port Wine Guava Glaze

2 cups Port (and a little for yourself!)
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 can (8 ounces) guava marmalade or frozen guava puree
8 ounces guava paste
4 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
5 cloves
8 bay leaves
20 black peppercorns
3 thyme sprigs

Place all ingredients, except thyme, in a sauce pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring gently to help dissolve the guava paste. Cook glaze on low heat until thickened, approximately 20 minutes. Remove from heat and add thyme, and let stand for 15 minutes to cool and further infuse flavor. Strain.
Divide glaze in half, and set aside one half for the serving table.

Mix the first half with:
6 tablespoons melted butter
¼ cup of dry white wine
Salt and pepper to taste

The turkey recipe calls for rubbing the turkey thoroughly, inside and out, with lemon and then basting with the guava/butter gift from the gods.

Baste frequently.
If the bird begins to brown too quickly, cover it with buttered foil.

At our house we’ll be serving our guavalicious bird with a pumpkin flan with gingersnap crust from Douglas Rodriquez’s book Nuevo Latino. And a little more port for me. (The Miami and Jersey Cubans will be in town, remember?)