Stuffed Christmas turkey with roasted garlic potatoes

Start preparing the day before serving. Place the turkey in a container that will comfortably hold the whole turkey. Fill with cold water so that it covers the turkey by 7–10 cm. Measure how much water you need and prepare solenade (marinade brine) at the rate of 2 tsp. salt and 1 tbsp. l. sugar per 1 liter of water. Dissolve salt and sugar, add 4 crushed cloves of garlic and 4 sprigs of thyme. Place the turkey, press down with a weight so that it does not float, and leave in a cool place for 12–24 hours. Preheat the oven to 230 °C. Pat the turkey dry of the brine and rub with olive oil.

For the filling, tear off the leaves from 2 sprigs of thyme, chop the dried apricots and nuts into medium pieces, and pour in olive oil.

Chop the peeled onion, 6 cloves of garlic and ginger very finely and fry in butter for 10 minutes. Mix with dried apricots and nuts.

Wash the oranges thoroughly with a brush to remove any waxy coating. Cut one orange with its peel into small pieces and add to the filling. Cut the rest into thick circles and place in a parchment-lined pan.

Stuff the turkey with stuffing and sew it up. Tie the legs, tuck the wings under the arms. Place the turkey breast side down on the oranges, brush with more olive oil and place the pan in the lower third of the oven for 30 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 140°C and bake for 1 hour. Turn the turkey over and brush with the juices from the pan. Return to the oven and bake for another 1 hour, every 10 minutes. pouring juices from the mold. Before carving, allow the turkey to “rest” on a platter with a sheet of foil on top, but without covering it. Then cut the strings, remove the stuffing and carve the turkey and serve immediately.

While the turkey is in the oven, brush the potatoes and cut them into quarters lengthwise. Peel the sweet pepper from seeds and membranes and cut into 3 cm squares.

Crush the garlic and peel, do not chop. Place the garlic in a saucepan, add melted butter, add a little salt and place on low heat. Simmer for 10 minutes, not allowing the garlic to brown.

Cream the butter and garlic with an immersion blender.

Line a deep baking pan with parchment paper (it's better to have a nice pan to hold the potatoes in) or grease the pan with olive oil. Place the prepared vegetables, pour over the oil and garlic and stir. Season with salt and pepper. Place the pan in the center of an oven preheated to 180°C and bake, stirring gently a couple of times, for about 35 minutes. Serve the potatoes and peppers hot.