Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Bone-In Roast Turkey Breast and Gravy


The easiest way to avoid screwing up your Thanksgiving turkey is to not make one. Instead of roasting a whole bird, just make the breast. Its also a great alternative if you have a small group of people and don't want 12lbs of turkey leftover. We were under a bit of a time constraint this year since I'm leaving for my parents' house tomorrow, So Max and I decided on this route to cut down on time spent in the kitchen.

Bone-In Roast Turkey
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma
Serves 4-6
  • 1 4lb Honey Brined bone-In turkey breast
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 2tbls chopped flat leaf parsley
  • 1tbls chopped fresh thyme
  • 1-2tbls olive oil
  • 1tbls salted butter
Let the turkey breast stand at room temperature for 1 1/2
Preheat oven to 350

Season the turkey breast with salt, pepper, parsley and thyme on both sides

In an oval roasting pan over medium-high heat, warm the oil and melt the butter. When hot, sear the turkey roast until browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast, turning the turkey occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the roast registers 165°F, about 1.5 hours. Transfer the turkey roast to a carving board, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for about 20 minutes before carving. Reserve the turkey drippings in the pan for the gravy.

Gravy
Makes about a cup and a half

I really didn't measure anything here, just kept throwing stuff in till it looked and tasted right but I'll do my best to give some approximates.

  • Chicken or turkey broth (about 20 ounces?)
  • Flour (the finer grain the better I used some all purpose and some pan searing flour that max had in the cabinet but Wondra would also work well)
  • Splash of sherry (I was going to use some white wine or vermouth instead since that's what I had at home but totally forgot. It came out fine without it but I'm sure it can't hurt)
Place roasting pan on the stove and skim the fat off the top. Add chicken stock and sherry and bring to a simmer while scraping the turkey drippings off the pot. Whisk vigorously to incorporate and stir in two spoonfuls of flour one at a time. Make sure to whisk this aggressively until all flour is incorporated to avoid lumps. Let simmer until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Adding a bit of flour here and there if needed. It took a little longer than I thought and was making me nervous that it wouldn't thicken up right but just sit tight and wait a few minutes it'll come through. I tasted it just to make sure before I took it off the heat.



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