Spiced apricot sauce

Makes About 1 Litre Sauces and accompaniments

Advertisement

Method

Blanch the tomatoes in simmering water for 20 seconds then plunge into iced water. Peel then halve, discard seeds, then finely chop the flesh. Set aside.

Place the star anise, cloves, peppercorns and nutmeg into a pan over a moderate heat and dry roast until fragrant then blend together using a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle. Shake through a sieve to remove any large pieces.

Heat the sugar in a medium saucepan until it begins to caramelise; swirl the pan to evenly distribute. Add the vinegar and allow to bubble until it begins to combine with the caramel, then whisk together. Simmer for 10 minutes then add the onions, ½tsp table salt, garlic, ginger and ground spice mix. After 5 minutes add the apricots, tomatoes and apples then cook gently for a further 15 minutes, stirring regularly. Remove 2/3 of the mixture and blend until smooth (using a stick blender or bench blender). Mix the blended sauce with the chunkier sauce in the saucepan then transfer to a shallow container, cover directly with cling film to prevent the mix from sweating and forming condensation, then refrigerate. Transfer to suitable clean and sterilized jars when cool and store in the fridge. This will keep for 3 weeks in an air-tight, sterilized jar. Once open, consume within a month.

…with roast turkey

SERVES 8-10
4kg turkey

Remove your turkey from the fridge at least 2 hours before using. Make sure it is clean and dry and any stray feathers have been removed. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6 and calculate the cooking time by weighing your bird. Allow 20 minutes per 500g and add on 20 minutes extra to the overall time.

Place lemon, onion and herbs (such as parsley and sage) in the cavity of the turkey and tie the legs if you wish. Season the bird with freshly milled salt and pepper. Generously cover it with butter.

Place the turkey on top of foil in an ovenproof dish and pour chicken stock around it before you loosely wrap it with foil. This will allow the turkey to slightly steam and stay moist. Baste the turkey at regular periods throughout cooking. If it appears to brown more on one side turn the roasting tray around so it cooks evenly.

Towards the end of the cooking, remove the top of the foil and allow the skin to brown. When the bird is cooked, remove from the oven and allow it to rest for at least 30 minutes before carving.