Fruited Turkey Breast Recipes

FRUITED TURKEY

Steps:

• Thoroughly wash and dry watermelon. With a sharp knife, cut a thin slice from bottom of watermelon so it lies flat. , Using a small sharp knife, lightly score a horizontal cutting line around middle of the melon, leaving 4 in. on each side of stem end unscored for the head. Next, score a vertical line over top of melon, connecting both ends of the horizontal line. Using a long knife, cut through melon along the vertical cutting line. (Stop cutting at the horizontal cutting line.) Then, cut through the melon along the horizontal cutting line. Gently pull off cut section. , For turkey's head, cut a 2 in. half-circle at top. Make a scalloped edge, using the rounded edge of a 1-in. circle cutter. With a sharp knife, cut along the scalloped lines; discard scrapes. For eyes, insert a clove into the center of each of two cantaloupe balls. Using toothpicks, attach eyes; add a chili pepper wattle., With a vegetable peeler, cut peel from oranges. (Save oranges for another use). Thread grapes, orange peel and remaining cantaloupe balls onto skewers; add to turkey for feathers.

FRIED TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• One hour before frying, place the turkey breast on a baking sheet, sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper, and let sit at room temperature.
• To figure out how much oil you will need for frying, put the breast in a large pot and cover with water by 3 inches; the pot should be large enough that the water comes no more than halfway up the sides. Remove the breast and check the water level -- that is how much oil you will need.
• Dry the pot and add the oil. Heat to 350 degrees F on a deep-frying thermometer.
• Pat the breast dry with paper towels. Using heat-resistant gloves (to protect yourself from burns), SLOWLY and CAREFULLY lower it into the hot oil.
• Fry until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined baking sheet and season with a bit more salt. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

DEEP-FRIED TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• Combine sea salt, red pepper flakes, black pepper, granulated garlic, and chili powder in a plastic container with lid. Seal container and shake until seasonings are well mixed.
• Rub entire batch of spice mixture over turkey breast to coat completely; wrap breast in aluminum foil and refrigerate for 24 hours.
• Remove breast from fridge and let stand at room temperature as you heat the oil.
• Heat oil in a pot with a lid and large enough to hold the oil and breast to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Gently add breast to the oil, cover pot with lid, and fry until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 25 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

OVEN-ROASTED TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Mix 1/4 cup butter, garlic, paprika, Italian seasoning, garlic and herb seasoning, salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Place turkey breast with skin side up into a roasting pan. Loosen skin with your fingers; brush half the butter mixture over the turkey breast and underneath the skin. Reserve remaining butter mixture. Tent turkey breast loosely with aluminum foil.
• Roast in the preheated oven for 1 hour; baste turkey breast with remaining butter mixture. Return to oven and roast until the juices run clear and an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast, not touching bone, reads 165 degrees F (65 degrees C), about 30 more minutes. Let turkey breast rest 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
• While turkey is resting, transfer pan drippings to a skillet. Skim off excess grease, leaving about 1 tablespoon in skillet. Place skillet over low heat; cook and stir shallot in turkey grease until opaque, about 5 minutes. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in skillet with shallot and whisk in white wine, scraping any browned bits of food from skillet. Whisk in chicken stock and flour until smooth. Bring to a simmer, whisking constantly, until thickened. For a creamier, lighter gravy, whisk in half-and-half.

FRUITED TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 F.
• Place the turkey breast, skin side up, in a 13 x 9 baking pan.
• Sprinkle with the thyme and rosemary.
• Roast, uncovered, for about 25 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, drain off and discard any fats and juices.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F.
• Arrange the onion, pepper, carrots, dried fruit, sweet potato and pineapple chunks around the turkey.
• Mix together the reserved pineapple juice, brown sugar, ketchup and red wine.
• Pour over and around turkey.
• Cover pan loosely with foil.
• Return to the oven and bake 1 hour longer.
• Remove the foil and continue baking 20 to 30 minutes, basting occasionally with the pan juices, until the sauce has thickened and the turkey is cooked through.

TURKEY FRIED TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• Fill a large, deep pot halfway full with vegetable oil. Heat the oil over medium high heat to 350 degrees F.
• Season turkey breast with salt and pepper and Cajun seasoning. Dredge the turkey in flour, then in milk, and back in the flour. Carefully lower the breast into the hot oil and fry until golden brown and cooked to 165 degrees F on an instant read thermometer.

ROLLED TURKEY BREAST WITH NUTTY FRUIT STUFFING

Steps:

• For the turkey: Place the turkey in a large bowl or pot, add the hard apple cider and salt. Then cover and refrigerate in the brine overnight.
• For the stuffing: In a large skillet set over medium heat, melt the butter, then add the celery and onions, and saute until soft, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the calvados, apricots, dates, salt and pepper. Stir and cook at a simmer until the liquid reduces and thickens, and the fruit is plump, about 5 minutes.
• In a large bowl, add the toasted bread, broth, pecans, sage, thyme and eggs. Add the vegetable mixture to bowl and mix to incorporate. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a casserole dish.
• Drain the turkey from the brine, rinse and pat all over to dry. Lay the turkey skin-side down on a work surface and use a sharp knife to butterfly the breast so that it lays flat. Sprinkle the turkey with 2 tablespoons of the Poultry Seasoning, then place 3 cups of the stuffing in the center of the breast and fold the ends of the turkey to cover. Flip the turkey over to seam-side down, and use kitchen twine to tie the turkey at 1-inch intervals.
• Place the remaining stuffing in the prepared casserole dish, and set aside.
• Arrange the sliced onions in the center of a roasting pan. Rub the turkey skin with the butter, sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons Poultry Seasoning, and then place the turkey over the sliced onions. Roast, basting occasionally, until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 hours.
• After about 1 hour 30 minutes, add the stuffing to the oven and bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• Remove the turkey from the pan and rest for 10 to 15 minutes, reserving the pan with the drippings for a later use.
• For the gravy: Place the roasting pan with the drippings on the stovetop set over medium-high heat. Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan. Use a spoon to scrape the bits from the bottom of the pan.
• In a medium bowl, add 1/4 cup of the chicken broth and the flour. Whisk to make a slurry.
• Add the remaining 1 cup chicken broth and the slurry into the roasting pan. Whisk until combined and smooth. Then simmer until the gravy reduces and thickens, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Remove the strings from the turkey and carve it into slices. Serve the turkey with the stuffing and gravy.
• Place the marjoram, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme in a spice grinder or blender and grind until powdery.

ROASTED TURKEY BREAST WITH DRIED FRUITS PAN SAUCE

Steps:

• Season the turkey breast on both sides with kosher salt and pepper. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 24 hours on a metal rack in a baking sheet.
• Bring the turkey breast to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a medium saucepan, bring the white wine to a boil. Pour over the dried cranberries and apricots in a large heatsafe bowl. Allow to cool and the fruit to absorb some of the liquid, about 1 hour.
• In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When the pan begins to lightly smoke, season the turkey with more kosher salt and pepper. Place the turkey in the pan skin-side down. When it begins to brown, flip the turkey, add the garlic, rosemary and 3 tablespoons of the butter and baste for 1 minute. Transfer to the oven and roast until the internal temperature registers 155 degrees F, 35 to 45 minutes depending on the size of the breast. Set the turkey aside skin-side up to rest for about 1 hour.
• Return the pan to medium-high heat, add the shallots and dried fruit with the wine and cook until the liquid is almost evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and reduce by half, 10 to 15 minutes. Finish with the vinegar, sage, lemon zest and remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Season with kosher salt and pepper.
• Slice the turkey, arrange on a large serving dish and pour the sauce over it. Garnish with flaky sea salt.