Cranberry glazed turkey with pumpkin and pecan stuffing

Step 1

The day before cooking, to brine the turkey, combine salt and sugar in a bowl. Rub salt mixture over turkey and inside cavity. Place turkey, breast-side down, in a deep-sided roasting pan. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.

Step 2

For the cranberry sauce, combine all ingredients in a bowl and leave at room temperature overnight to macerate.

Step 3

The next day, rinse turkey well under cold running water and pat dry with paper towel. Spread rosemary across pan and place turkey, breast-side up, on rosemary in the middle of the pan. Set aside for 1 hour to come to room temperature.

Step 4

Preheat oven to 200°C (fan-forced).

Step 5

Meanwhile, for the stuffing, place all ingredients in a bowl and combine well with clean hands. Fill cavity with stuffing and tie legs together with kitchen string.

Step 6

Combine oil and butter in a bowl and brush over turkey. Add 2 cups (500ml) chicken stock to pan. Transfer cranberry sauce to a separate deep-sided roasting pan and add remaining 2 cups (500ml) stock. Place turkey on the middle shelf of the oven and cranberry sauce on a lower shelf, and roast for 30 minutes or until turkey is slightly golden and sugar in cranberry sauce is dissolved. Remove sauce from oven and set aside.

Step 7

Reduce oven to 150°C. Rotate turkey 180° and roast for 1 hour 20 minutes, then rotate 180° again and pour over cranberry sauce. Roast, brushing with sauce from pan every 10 minutes, for 40 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 75°C. Remove from oven and rest, loosely covered with foil, for at least 20 minutes. Serve turkey drizzled with sauce from pan.