Roasted turkey with apricot-mustard glaze

Method

• Step 1
  To brine the turkey: In a large saucepan, bring 1 litre of the water to a boil over high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the salt, sugar, lemons, garlic, rosemary, peppercorns, and coriander seeds, stirring until the sugar and salt dissolves. Pour the hot brine into a container large enough and deep enough to hold the turkey (about 16-18 litre capacity) and add the remaining 8 litres of cold water to cool the brine.

• Step 2
  Place the turkey, breast side down, in the brine, making sure the entire turkey is submerged. Cover the container tightly and refrigerate overnight.
• Step 3
  To prepare the turkey: Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Remove the turkey from the brine and discard the brine. Rinse the turkey with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Truss the turkey with butchers twine. Rub the outside of the turkey with the oil and season well with salt and pepper. Place the turkey on a roasting rack inside a large roasting pan. Cover the pan with foil and roast the turkey for about 25 minutes.
• Step 4
  Meanwhile, to make the glaze: Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Cut an “x” through the skin on the bottom of each apricot. Add the apricots to the boiling water and cook for 1 minute. Drain and submerge the apricots in ice water to cool completely. Peel, pit, and chop the apricots.
• Step 5
  In a medium heavy saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the shallots and cardamom and cook for about 3 minutes, or until pale golden. Add the apricots and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the shallots soften. Add the wine and vinegar and simmer for about 8 minutes, or until reduced by half. Add the honey and mustard powder and cook for about 2 minutes, or until blended. Strain the glaze through a fine-meshed sieve into a small bowl, pressing on the solids with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible; discard the solids.
• Step 6
  Reduce the oven temperature to 150°C. Remove the foil from the turkey and brush turkey generously with some of the glaze. (Depending on your oven, if there is a top heating element, the turkey will brown faster). Continue to roast the turkey uncovered for another 1.5-2 hours, brushing with the glaze every 15 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 74°C. If the turkey begins to brown too quickly, cover it loosely with foil.
• Step 7
  Remove the turkey from the oven and rest for 1 hour, lightly covered with foil, before carving.
• Step 8
  To serve: Carve the turkey and arrange on a platter. Serve with the remaining glaze to drizzle over the turkey slices.