Festive Roast Turkey with Apricots & Cranberries

Ingredients

For the Turkey

• 1 large turkey breast
• 1 litre water
• 1¼ cups dark brown sugar
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 20g salt
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• ¼ tsp black peppercorns
• 4 cloves
• 4 all spice
• 100ml maple syrup

 For the Stuffing

• 300g fresh sourdough breadcrumbs
• 100g blanched whole almonds
• 100g dried cranberries
• 150g butter
• 2 onions finely chopped
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the Apricots

• 250g dried apricots soaked in enough water to cover, for several hours until swollen
• 150-200g frozen cranberries
• 100ml maple syrup
• 20ml orange blossom water
  
  

Method

For the Turkey

Bring all ingredients (except the turkey) to the boil, remove from the heat & allow to cool. Add the turkey & brine for at least 1 hour or overnight in the fridge. Drain & pat dry. Open the turkey out and stuff with stuffing and roll. Truss with string to form a neat log. Sprinkle with pepper. Heat a pan with a small amount of oil and gently sear the turkey until golden on all sides. Place in the oven at 150°C for about 1 hour until cooked, allow to rest before serving.

For the Stuffing

Melt butter in a pan & then over low heat cook the onions until soft, add the remaining ingredients & season to taste. Set aside to cool.

For the Apricots

Strain the apricots, reserving the liquid and add the liquid and maple syrup to a pan & cook until it starts to become a little syrupy. Add the orange blossom water, apricots, cranberries & any juices from the resting turkey. Cook until glazed. Serve the turkey on a platter, serve with roasted baby carrots & scatter over the apricot mix & a few roasted pistachios.