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We didn't know our 4-kg turkey's killed "as per Islamic rites" when we ordered it on the internet

Things for the brining liquid are laid out: 1 gallon vegetable stock (I used chicken stock cubes), 1 cup kosher salt, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 1 Tbsp black peppercorns, ginger root slices because I didn't have 1/2 Tbsp candied ginger or the 1/2 Tbsp all spice berries called for in the recipe

Then I boiled the ingredients till the salt's dissolved

Next, the cooled salty liquid gets chilled in the fridge

6-8 hrs before roasting, the brining liquid goes into a bucket and is joined by another gallon of heavily iced water. I lined my bucket with a plastic bag for mess-free cleanup

The turkey goes into the brining liquid

Bird bath, hahaha

It's turned halfway

The roasting pan is lined with carrots, celery and onion for the turkey to rest on

After 8 hrs of brining, the turkey's dried and the cavity slightly sprinkled with Cajun spices, stuffed with a quartered lemon and rosemary sprigs

I molded a piece of foil over the breast before it went into the oven for easy application after the initial roasting, as instructed by Alton Brown

Breast plate ready, turkey ready

The bird first went into a 250C oven for 30 minutes

After 30 minutes of high heat blasting, the turkey looked like this. Then the foil plate's put over the breast and back to the oven it went for 2 hrs 40 min at 170C

After the 2hr and 40 min's up, the turkey looks like this

At this stage, the thigh registered 170F (180's the recommended tempreature). So I put it back in a 200C oven for the final 30 min roasting (foil removed)

After the last leg of roasting, the thigh temperature read 200F! Not good, not good at all

Final result and the turkey's cooked to death

The turkey's covered and resting for 40 min while the side dishes were being finished off

Xmas dinner: Roasted sweet potato, broccoli, carrots and very dry turkey. The skin's very crispy though

This juice collected on the roasting pan is so tasty

Besides breast meat, I also ate a leg

Our Xmas Day lunch: homemade ramen with roast pork slices, bean sprouts, soft boiled egg, chopped green onions, bamboo shoots and chili sauce, very yummy