Spiral Stuffed Turkey Breast with Cider Gravy
When a whole bird is just too much--time and effort, as well as size--there is a quicker, simpler way: what's known in French cuisine as a roulade. Using a boneless turkey breast, butterflied and flattened, you can serve a beautiful spiral of juicy meat and herb-flecked stuffing that cooks in an hour and is a cinch to carve. Here, the turkey braises in thyme-infused apple cider, creating the basis for a savory sweet-tart gravy that gives the dish an elegant finish.
Gallery
Recipe Summary
Ingredients
Directions
Tips
Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through step 3. Wrap the roulade in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 8 hours.
Equipment: Kitchen string
Sparkling or still apple cider, alcoholic (hard) or nonalcoholic (sweet)--all work well in this recipe. Still cider produces a darker gravy with a slightly sweeter flavor.
To make fresh breadcrumbs: Trim crusts from bread. Tear the bread into pieces and process in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. One slice makes about 1/3 cup.
How to butterfly a turkey breast
1. Place the turkey breast on a cutting board. Starting on the rounded side, make a horizontal cut with a chef's knife, about halfway down, to within 1 inch of the other side.
2. Open up the breast. Cover the breast with plastic wrap. Pound with a rolling pin or meat mallet to an even 1/2-inch thickness. Remove plastic wrap.
3. Spread the stuffing over the breast, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides. Roll the breast up into a cylinder.
4. Secure the roulade by tying it with kitchen string at 1-inch intervals.
Technique
Making a Roulade
This preparation may look advanced, but it is actually quite simple and has numerous advantages. The challenge in roasting a whole turkey is that the breast meat tends to dry out before the leg portion is fully cooked. By cooking the breast alone, you eliminate the different roasting times and take advantage of turkey breast's status as one of the leanest, most economical meats available.
Because the b
Just follow this step-by-step cooking lesson for an impressive alternative to the conventional holiday bird.
How to butterfly, stuff & roll a turkey breast
1. Place the turkey breast on a cutting board. Starting on the rounded side, make a horizontal cut with a chef's knife, about halfway down, to within 1 inch of the other side.
2. Open up the breast. Cover the breast with plastic wrap. Pound with a rolling pin or meat mallet to an even 1/2-inch thickness. Remove plastic wrap.
3. Spread the stuffing over the breast, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides. Roll the breast up into a cylinder.
4. Secure the roulade by tying it with kitchen string at 1-inch intervals.
Nutrition Facts
1/3 fruit, 1 vegetable, 3 1/2 lean protein, 1 fat
