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2
tablespoons butter, softened |
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2
cinnamon sticks |
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1/2 cup/125 ml/4 fl oz honey |
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2
cups/500 ml/16 fl oz chicken stock, more if needed
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1. Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C. Spread sesame
seeds and chopped almonds in a single layer on a shallow pan or
baking sheet and roast them, shaking the tray occasionally,
until the nuts are golden, 8-10 minutes. Set aside to cool
2. Mix ground cinnamon, cumin, coriander,
ginger, cloves, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub both skin
and cavity of turkey with spice mixture. Put the onion studded
with cloves in cavity and truss the bird. Place it in a roasting
pan and spread skin with softened butter. Cut giblets in pieces
and add to pan with cinnamon sticks. Pour over honey and half of
stock.
3. Roast bird in preheated oven, turning it
from one leg to the other and finally on its back, until cooked,
2 1/2-3 hours. Baste often and if stock and honey begin to
scorch during roasting, add more stock.
4. Fifteen minutes before turkey is done,
remove from roasting pan and strain pan juices into a small
saucepan. Skim fat and boil to reduce, if necessary there should
be about 1 cup/250 ml/8 fl oz of glaze. Stir in toasted sesame
seeds and almonds. Return turkey to roasting pan, spoon glaze
over top and continue roasting, basting very often, until skin
is golden and crisp, 10-15 minutes.
5. Discard trussing strings. Transfer turkey
to a platter, spoon over any remaining glaze and leave to stand,
covered with foil, 10-15 minutes before carving.
Quick Fix
To draw attention from less-than-perfect
birds: Decorate the platter with tomato baskets filled with
diced celery or cucumber for a crisp contrast. For a more lavish
approach, pile on some broiled cocktail sausages and little
rolls of crispy bacon. Disguise the problems with the bird
itself -- skin not browned, split, or scorched -- with sprigs of
watercress, branches of herbs, even a strategically placed
flower or two. Purists may frown, but a turkey is a celebration
and calls for a touch of fantasy!
This Recipe of the Month
selection comes from Anne Willan's
Cook It Right (Reader's Digest,
1998). To order your copy please call 1-800-788-6262.
