Bacon-wrapped turkey breast with hazelnut and guajillo mole

Ingredients

• 3 largegarlic cloves
• 60 ml (¼ cup)olive oil
• Juice of 1lemon
• 2bay leaves
• 1 teaspoondried thyme
• ½ teaspoonblack pepper
• 1roasted, soaked chipotle chilli
• 2 teaspoonsWorcestershire sauce
• 2 large, about 1 kg eachboneless, skinless turkey breasts
• To tastesalt
• 500 gsmoked bacon, sliced
• 6garlic cloves
• 90 mloil
• 220 gshelled hazelnuts
• 1 largeripe plantain, peeled and cut into 2 cm slices
• 3red apples, skin on, cored and quartered
• 1onion, cut into thick slices
• 13guajillo chillies, stalked, deveined and deseeded
• 3ancho chillies, stalked, deveined and deseeded
• 100 gpitted prunes
• 1 piece, 7 cmcinnamon stick
• 7whole cloves
• 6allspice berries
• ½ teaspoonanise seeds
• ½ teaspooncumin seeds
• ½ teaspooncoriander seeds
• 2corn tortillas
• 2 litres, plus 1 litre if neededchicken stock
• To tastesalt
• To tastesugar
• 2 tablespoonscider vinegar
• To tastesweet potato purée
• To taste, optionalsliced courgettes
• To taste, optionalchopped parsley
• To tasteguajillo chilli flakes

Instructions

1. 1

   Blend marinade

   Blend the first eight ingredients, keeping a little texture rather than making the mixture completely smooth. Set aside.

2. 2

   Marinate turkey

   Rub the marinade all over the turkey breasts. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Prepare the mole while the turkey marinates.

3. 3

   Preheat oven

   Heat the oven to 190°C.

4. 4

   Wrap the breasts

   Season the turkey with salt and wrap each breast in bacon, securing it with kitchen string in 12 or 14 knots.

5. 5

   Roast the turkey

   Put the breasts in the oven, reduce the temperature to 170°C and roast for 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 70°C.

6. 6

   Rest the meat

   Take the turkey out of the oven and leave it to rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

7. 7

   Fry the garlic

   Fry the six garlic cloves in the oil in a frying pan over medium heat for 2 minutes. Remove them and transfer to a tall container with a capacity of 5 litres; the fried ingredients will be added to this container.

8. 8

   Fry mole ingredients

   Fry each ingredient separately in the same pan, removing it before adding the next: cook the hazelnuts for 3 minutes, plantain slices for 5 minutes, apples and onion for 3 minutes, and the chillies for 10 seconds on each side. Fry the prunes just until soft and slightly blistered. Finally, lightly toast all the spices until fragrant and transfer them to the container with the other fried ingredients.

9. 9

   Soak tortillas

   Toast the tortillas directly over a flame, turning them several times until well charred on both sides. Crumble them into the container with the other ingredients, pour in the chicken stock and leave to soak for 20 minutes.

10. 10

    Blend the mole

    Blend the mixture in small batches until smooth, adding more chicken stock if needed.

11. 11

    Simmer the sauce

    Heat a 5-litre saucepan and pour in the sauce. Simmer gently for 45 minutes, stirring constantly. The finished mole should be smooth and glossy; add more stock if it becomes too thick.

12. 12

    Season the mole

    Season the sauce with salt, sugar and cider vinegar, then set it aside. This recipe makes more mole than needed for the turkey; freeze the extra for another use.

13. 13

    Plate and serve

    Spoon some sweet potato purée onto each plate and arrange slices of turkey on top. Add hazelnut mole and serve with courgettes, if using; garnish with parsley and guajillo chilli flakes.

What is mole?

Mole is a family of Mexican sauces, often built from chillies, spices and ingredients that add body and depth. This version combines guajillo and ancho chillies with hazelnuts, fruit, toasted tortillas and warm spices.

Here, the rich sauce accompanies bacon-wrapped turkey, making a festive roast with a contrast of savoury meat, fruit and gentle chilli warmth.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 790 calories, 52g protein, 47g carbs, 45g fat.

Turkey supplies most of the protein, while the bacon and frying oil contribute much of the fat; the plantain, tortillas, fruit and sweet potato purée bring carbohydrates. Serve with courgettes and a moderate spoonful of purée to add vegetables alongside the richer turkey and mole.

The turkey marinade

Give it time: the garlic, lemon, herbs, chipotle and Worcestershire sauce need at least 4 hours in the fridge to flavour the turkey; overnight is preferable.

Keep the texture: the marinade is meant to retain a little texture after blending, rather than becoming completely smooth.

Building the mole

Fry separately: cook each ingredient in the same pan, removing it before adding the next. This gives the hazelnuts, plantain, apples, onion and chillies their own time in the oil and helps avoid overcooking the shorter-cooking items.

Watch the chillies: they need only 10 seconds per side. Toast the spices lightly at the end, stopping as soon as they smell aromatic.

Getting the sauce smooth

Soak well: leave the toasted tortilla and fried ingredients in the stock for 20 minutes before blending to help them soften.

Blend in batches: the mixture is substantial, so use small amounts and add stock as needed. Stir constantly during the 45-minute simmer to keep the sauce from catching on the bottom of the pan.

Roasting and resting

Use the temperature cues: start the oven at 190°C, then reduce it to 170°C once the turkey goes in. The recipe calls for 30 minutes of roasting, with 70°C at the centre of the breast as the doneness cue.

Rest before slicing: give the roast 15 minutes out of the oven so it is easier to carve and serve.

Serving the plate

Sweet potato purée makes a soft, gently sweet base for the savoury turkey and chilli-rich mole. Add sliced courgettes if you want a vegetable side, then finish with parsley and guajillo flakes.

Spoon on enough mole to coat the turkey without hiding its bacon wrapping. There will be extra sauce, which the recipe says can be frozen.

Recipe notes & tips

• Marinate the turkey overnight if you can, keeping it covered in the fridge.
• Tie the bacon securely so it stays in place as the turkey roasts.
• Fry the mole ingredients in batches and remove each as soon as its stated cooking time is up.
• Blend the sauce in small batches and avoid filling the blender too high with hot ingredients.
• Stir the mole regularly throughout its 45-minute simmer.
• Freeze leftover mole in meal-sized containers for easier use later.

Variations

• Change the garnish: serve with another cooked green vegetable if courgettes are unavailable.
• Adjust the heat: use fewer guajillo chilli flakes at the table for a milder finish.
• Make it ahead: prepare the mole in advance and reheat it gently, stirring as it warms.
• Serve without purée: plate the turkey and mole with a vegetable side instead.
• Use extra mole: serve the leftover sauce with another roast or save it in the freezer.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Short marinating: the flavour has less time to develop; allow at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
• Over-toasting chillies: they can scorch quickly; keep to 10 seconds per side.
• Crowding the blender: blending too much at once makes it harder to get a smooth sauce; work in small batches.
• Skipping the stirring: mole can catch during its long simmer; stir it constantly as directed.
• Slicing straight away: the juices can run out more readily; rest the turkey for 15 minutes first.

How to store

Refrigerate leftover turkey and mole in separate covered containers and use within 3 days. Reheat thoroughly until piping hot; warm the mole gently with a splash of stock if it has thickened. Freeze surplus mole in a sealed container for up to 3 months, then thaw in the fridge before reheating.

Frequently asked questions