Stuffed turkey breast with pistachio and cranberry
Yield: 5 people
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: This one is a little tricky but you have got this.
Nothing says November in the USA quite like turkey. A Thanksgiving favorite. Here is my take on the traditional Thanksgiving ingredient. Turkey, cranberries, and pistachio nuts are a match made in heaven. The red wine and cranberry jus adds just the right amount of acidity to make the ingredients pop. Once you get the hang of stuffing and tying the breast back together, the rest of this recipe is straightforward and easy to execute.
Ingredients:
¾ oz. unsalted melted butter to brush
3½ oz. chicken or pork sausage meat
1 oz. canna-butter
2 oz. chopped smoked fatty pork (streaky bacon, speck, ham)
2 Tbsp. fresh sage, shredded
½ onion, finely minced
2¼ oz. dried cranberries roughly chopped
1 clove garlic minced finely
2¼ oz. pistachio nuts, crushed and chopped roughly
½ cup chicken stock
1 egg
2.2 lb. boneless turkey breast, skin on
Red wine and cranberry jus:
¾ oz. unsalted butter
¾ oz. canna-butter
1 onion, diced
1 carrot diced (peeled or unpeeled)
2 Tbsp. plain flour
2 cups cold turkey stock (use chicken if no turkey stock)
¼ cup dry red wine
1 oz. dried cranberries
Equipment:
1 frying pan
1 sauce pot
1 fairly deep baking tray
Butchers twine
Basting brush
Chef’s knife
Boning or fillet knife
Cutting board
Mixing bowl
Foil paper
Method:
Preheat your oven to 374°F.
In a frying pan over medium heat, add the regular butter and allow it to heat up.
Once hot add in the onions and chopped ham.
Cook until the onions are translucent, and the ham has started to render some fat.
Add in the garlic and continue to cook for another 2 minutes, stirring so nothing burns.
Remove from the heat and place into a mixing bowl.
While the mixture is still hot, add in the canna-butter cubes and allow to melt while mixing.
When melted, add in the cranberries, pistachio nuts and, sage and mix until combined.
Season with salt and pepper.
Gently mix in the sausage meat and the egg. Do not over-mix the sausage meat or it will become tough.
Set aside to cool completely.
While the stuffing is cooling, place the turkey skin side down onto a cutting board, using a sharp knife, slice through the center about 2/3 of the way through the breast.
Open the breast up by making shallow slices where the meat is holding the breast together. The idea is to get the breast as flat and open as you can.
Spoon the stuffing in a neat pipe shape on the first third of the breast.
Spread the rest of the stuffing in a neat layer over the rest of the breast.
Roll the breast up into a sausage-type shape. The pipe-shaped stuffing will be in the center, and the roll should be tight.
Use the butcher’s twine to truss the breast closed. Make a loop every inch if you know how butchers’ truss. If not, make separate knots every inch or so.
At this point, you should have a neat sausage-shaped rolled and stuffed turkey breast.
Place the roll onto a non-stick baking rack (spray with non-stick spray).
Place the rack over a roasting tray. (so that the turkey is not touching the bottom of the roasting tray) Add the stock to the bottom of the roasting pan.
Brush the rolled turkey with melted butter (just regular butter).
Cover the tray with foil paper, shiny side down.
Place into the oven and roast for 25 minutes.
After 25 minutes, remove the foil and baste the turkey roll with the juices in the pan including the butter. This will help keep the breast meat moist.
Return the roll to the oven, this time uncovered.
Roast for another 15 to 20 minutes and keep basting every 5 to 10 minutes.
Check the turkey roll is cooked by giving it a squeeze. It will be firm once cooked. If it’s not firm, baste it again and cook until done.
Once the turkey roll is cooked, remove it from the oven, and continue to baste it with the tray juices.
Allow the roll to rest for 15 minutes to allow everything to set together.
For the sauce:
In a sauce pot over medium-high heat, add 1 tsp. sunflower oil and the carrots and onions.
Saute until the carrots soften and the onions become translucent.
Turn the heat down to medium to low.
Add the regular butter and canna butter to the pot and then immediately add in the flour.
Mix well so that the flour picks up the butter and makes a roux.
Cook for a minute to remove the acidity from the flour. The roux should not be dark brown but rather a blond/green color.
Slowly pour in the red wine while whisking constantly. This makes a slurry which helps to avoid lumps in your sauce. Then add the stock slowly, pouring while whisking.
Once all the stock and wine have been incorporated into the sauce. Turn the sauce up to medium-high and whisk until it comes to a gentle boil. It will begin to thicken at this point.
Add in any juices from the roasting tray that came from the turkey.
Once the sauce has just begun to boil and it has thickened remove it from the heat. Taste it and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Strain the jus and add in the dried cranberries.
Now you are ready to plate
Remove the string from the rolls gently. Using a very sharp knife, carve the turkey roll into the desired thickness.
It should have a pretty picture inside of sausage meat, green nuts, herbs, and cranberries.
Plate your turkey rolls with your vegetables and starch. Mashed potatoes and fresh green vegetables are my choice, but you can use whatever you like best.
Drizzle the sauce over the turkey and keep the rest in a sauce boat.
Remember the sauce and the roll are both active so make sure it’s an adult-only meal.
Label any leftovers so there can be no doubt as to what is in the container.
