Baked Turkey with Brown Sugar Mustard Glaze and Stuffing

Brown sugar and spicy mustard make a tried-and-true glaze for ham, but they're delightful on roasted turkey too. This easy Thanksgiving turkey is first rubbed with butter and roasted until beginning to brown, and is then brushed with the tangy-sweet glaze during the last hour of cooking.  A practically instant sweet-and-spicy mixture of mustard and brown sugar flavours the bird and gives the skin an impressive golden-brown color.

1 (12 lb) whole turkey, thawed if frozen, rinsed and patted dry (neck and giblets reserved, liver discarded)
coarse sea salt
black pepper, freshly cracked
4 cups Pecan Cornbread Dressing
2 Tbsp. butter, room temperature
½ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup spicy brown mustard

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4).  Place oven rack in lowest position.

Place turkey on a roasting rack set in a large roasting pan.

Season the inside of the turkey with salt and pepper. Loosely fill neck and large cavity with dressing; fold skin over, and secure with skewers or trussing needles, if necessary. Bend wing tips forward, and tuck under the neck cavity. Using kitchen twine, tie the legs together securely. Rub turkey all over with butter; season with salt and pepper.

Add neck, giblets, and 3 cups water to the roasting pan. Cover the turkey loosely with aluminum foil. Roast for 1 hour, and then baste with pan juices every 30 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh (avoiding bone) registers 125°F, 1-2 hours more.

Remove foil; increase heat to 400°F (200°C/180°C fan, Gas Mark 6).

In a small bowl, stir together sugar and mustard; brush turkey with glaze. Rotate pan, and continue to roast turkey, brushing with glaze 2-3 more times, until thermometer registers 165°F, 45 minutes to 1 hour more (tent with buttered foil if browning too quickly; add more water if pan becomes dry).

Transfer turkey to a platter; reserve pan with drippings for gravy (opposite). Cover turkey loosely with foil, and let rest for at least 30 minutes (or up to 1 hour). Before serving, remove dressing, and carve.

Cook's Note:  To ensure a juicy turkey, buy an inexpensive instant-read thermometer, and roast the bird to the temperature specified in the recipe.