Persian-Style Christmas Turkey with Apple-Macaroni Stuffing (Boqalamun Christmas)

Clean and rinse the turkey thoroughly, then pat dry. Season the cavity generously with salt and black pepper and set aside.

Cook the macaroni in well-salted water until tender. Drain and reserve.

Set aside the 8 small apples whole. Peel, core, and dice the remaining apples.

Melt one-third of the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the diced apples until just softened, then gently fold in the cooked macaroni. Remove from heat.

In a separate pan, caramelize the sugar until golden. Carefully add about ½ cup boiling water, stirring until fully dissolved. Mix half of this caramel syrup into the apple-macaroni filling.

Season the stuffing with lemon juice, salt, and black pepper. Spoon it into the turkey cavity without overpacking, then sew or securely close the opening.

In a large pot, melt the remaining butter with a little olive oil. Brown the turkey on all sides until evenly golden.

Add 2 glasses of water or chicken broth, garlic cloves, rosemary, thyme, onions, carrots, celery, the herb bundle, and the reserved whole apples. Cover and simmer gently over low heat until the turkey is fully cooked and tender.

Near the end of cooking, add the prune plums and allow them to warm through gently without becoming mushy.

Remove the herb bundle. Stir in the remaining caramel syrup, a splash of lemon juice, salt, and black pepper. Bring the cooking liquid to a gentle boil.

For the gravy, brown flour in butter in a separate pan. Gradually whisk in water or strained turkey cooking liquid until smooth, then stir this gravy back into the pot to thicken the sauce.

Strain the sauce. Transfer the turkey to a serving platter, arrange the apples and prunes around it, garnish with parsley leaves, and drizzle with some of the sauce. Serve warm with cranberry sauce on the side.