Whole Brined Turkey with Apricot and Almond Sourdough Stuffing
Brining makes for a juicy, flavourful turkey and it’s a brilliant extra step if you have the time, however it can be omitted. For the stuffing we used the New Zealand gourmet apricots available in the bulk bin section. They're tart and sweet and add a wonderful flavour.
Ingredients
1 Farro Size 4 Turkey
For the brine:
4 litres water
200g coarse sea salt
200g brown sugar
1 orange, quartered
3 Tbsp black peppercorns
1 onion, sliced
A few bay leaves
A few sprigs each of thyme and rosemary
For the sourdough stuffing:
(This can be done a day ahead)
150g dried apricots
¼ cup orange liqueur or orange juice
150g garlic parsley butter, softened
1 leek, chopped
1 stick celery, chopped
1 Tbsp finely chopped thyme leaves
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 cups sourdough breadcrumbs
Grated zest of 1 orange
100g toasted, slivered almonds
A good handful of parsley leaves, chopped
1 cup chicken stock
Method
To Brine:
To make the brine, boil 1 litre of the water with the salt and sugar to dissolve, then add the remaining water and ingredients. Ensure the mix is cold before using.
Remove the giblets from the turkey (these can be used to make a stock; otherwise discard them). Put the turkey in a large stock pot or clean bucket. (If necessary, you can put the turkey and brine into an unscented rubbish bag and put ice around the bag in a clean chilly bin). Cover with the brine and top with a plate to weigh it down. Leave to brine for 18-24 hours. Pat dry and, if you have time, leave uncovered on a rack over a tray in the fridge to dry out the skin for another 12 hours.
Stuffing and cooking:
Soak the dried apricots in the liqueur or juice with ½ cup water and leave for 10 minutes. Taking care to reserve the liquid, remove and roughly chop the apricots.
Put 30g of butter in a large pan and fry the leek, celery, thyme, and garlic until soft. Add the breadcrumbs to the pan and fry lightly. Stir through the apricots and reserved liquid, along with the orange zest, slivered almonds, and parsley. Set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 170°C fan.
Loosen the skin under the turkey breast and smear most of the remaining butter between the breast skin and the flesh.
Fill the neck and body cavities with stuffing. Don’t overpack the stuffing; any remaining stuffing can be shaped into a sausage shape, wrapped in baking paper, then wrapped in foil and cooked in the oven in the last hour of cooking time.
Fold the wings behind the turkey body and secure the legs with string. Melt the remaining butter and brush it liberally all over the skin. Season well.
Put the turkey into a roasting dish with the chicken stock. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 2 hours. Remove the foil, brush the turkey with the pan juices, and cook for another 50-60 minutes. When you insert a thermometer into the thickest part of the leg it should be at 75°C and the juices should run clear.
If the turkey starts to brown too much, cover it loosely with foil. Remove from the oven and set aside to rest for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.