Your one-stop spot for putting together a Thanksgiving feast in Spain
Thanksgiving is a favorite tradition, but trying to celebrate abroad
can present some challenges. From Chile, to China, to Spain, I have
managed to still put together a fantastic Thanksgiving feast for friends
and family. Here I will help you source all those difficult-to-find
ingredients and give you my collection of recipes to share in your home
in Bilbao, Pais Vasco, Spain. Read on for suggestions and I can't wait
to hear all about your feast! 😋
🦃 The Turkey 🍗
Where to find one 📍
In Bilbao, it's easy to source a turkey from a local farm. You might still
need to pull out some leftover feathers, so give yourself time to do so,
but you know it is fresh and locally grown. I pick them up from the
butcher shop (carniceria) the day before and don't have to deal with a
frozen turkey. Just call a bit in advance to plan the delivery between the
butcher shop and the farmer. Shops we have been happy with are listed
below. This year I saw some smaller whole turkeys at the giant Carrefour
in Erandio, so that could be another option. For those without an oven, I
have found some decent and cheap roasted chickens at Costco. It's
definitely a no-fuss alternative.
Below are my go-to recipes for roasting the turkey and taking advantage of
the leftover turkey carcass for an amazing soup.
Just click the links below for my go-to recipes. You
will need an oven (not the counter-top variety), a meat thermometer, and
don't forget the turkey pan and aluminum foil!
Tips: This recipe calls for rice, but egg noodles are
equally delicious. I definitely have to add some water or low-salt
chicken broth to the liquid. Keep in mind that the liquid will get salty
and packed with flavor as it reduces, so I recommend using less salt.
Finally, the rice or noodles will absorb a lot of the liquid. Sometimes
I add water when I reheat it. Alternatively, you can keep the noodles
and rice apart and add them to your bowl when you are ready to eat to
avoid losing all the broth.
