Moist Turkey Breast With White Wine Gravy Recipes

ROASTED WHOLE TURKEY BREAST WITH WHITE WINE GRAVY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 F.
• In a medium sauce pan, add butter, sage, shallot, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and paprika. Turn heat to medium, then cook, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted and shallots have softened, about 2 minutes. Add white wine, increase temperature to bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook 1 minute more. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Rinse turkey breast under cool water then pat dry with paper towels. Place turkey in a roasting pan or in a large skillet. Unfold cheesecloth and wrap evenly around the top and sides of the turkey. Pour about half of the melted butter mixture (~1 cup) on top. Add sliced head of garlic and lemon halves to pan.
• Place turkey in oven, then immediately reduce the temperature to 375 F. Baste the turkey with leftover melted butter every 20 minutes. When you run out of liquid, simply baste the turkey with the jus in the bottom of the pan. Turkey needs 15 minutes to cook per lb. Begin checking a 6 lb turkey close to the 2 hour mark. Turkey is fully cooked when an internal temperature of 165 F is reached.
• Remove turkey from oven and loosely tent with aluminum foil. Let rest 15-20 minutes before carving. When ready, transfer turkey to a cutting board to slice.
• Meanwhile, strain gravy at the bottom of the pan and serve as is on the side.

SAVORY TURKEY BREAST WITH HERBS AND WHITE WINE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Place turkey breast, skin side-up, on a rack in a large, shallow roasting pan. Insert an ovenproof meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast, being certain that the tip does not touch the bone.
• Roast, uncovered, in the preheated oven for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, mix melted butter, wine, garlic, rosemary, basil, parsley, thyme, olive oil, salt, and paprika together in a bowl. Brush 1/2 of the mixture over the turkey and roast for 30 minutes. Brush remaining butter mixture over turkey, and roast until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 1 hour more. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Remove turkey from the oven and let stand for 15 minutes before carving.
• Meanwhile, pour pan drippings into a 2-cup liquid measure. Skim fat from the surface, then add enough chicken broth to measure 2 cups liquid. Transfer to a small saucepan.
• Bring broth mixture to a boil. Stir cold water and cornstarch together in a small bowl; pour into the broth mixture and bring to a boil. Cook and stir until gravy thickens slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve gravy with turkey.

ROAST TURKEY WITH WHITE WINE GRAVY

Steps:

• To brine turkey: Remove neck and giblets from turkey and set aside in the refrigerator for the giblet stock. Drain any liquid from the turkey cavity. Place the turkey on a rack set in a roasting pan. Dry the cavity and skin well with paper towels. Gently loosen skin, running fingers between it and the meat. Mix 1 tablespoon each chopped parsley, rosemary, thyme sage and salt and ground pepper in a small bowl. Rub half the mixture under the skin and the other half on the skin. Refrigerate the turkey, uncovered and breast-side up, for at least 24 hours and for up to 48 hours.
• Meanwhile, prepare stock: Place the reserved neck and giblets in a large saucepan, along with 1 onion, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, 2 garlic cloves and peppercorns. Add water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a low simmer and cook, uncovered, for 2 hours, skimming fat and foam as needed. Strain through a fine sieve into a measuring cup (discard solids). You should have 2 to 2 1/2 cups stock. Set aside in the refrigerator.
• When ready to roast the turkey, position rack in the lower third of oven; preheat to 475°F. Let the turkey stand at room temperature while the oven heats. Place lemon, the remaining 4 garlic cloves, parsley leaves, rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs and sage leaves in the cavity. Fill the rest of the cavity with some of the remaining onions, carrots and celery. Place any remaining vegetables in the roasting pan. Rub oil over the turkey. Pour wine into the pan.
• Place the pan in the oven and reduce the temperature to 350°. Roast the turkey until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast and the innermost part of the thigh registers 165°F, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
• Transfer the turkey (still on the rack to keep the skin toward the bottom from getting too soggy) to a cutting board. Let rest for at least 20 minutes.
• While the turkey rests, make gravy: Using a slotted spoon, remove the vegetables from the pan and discard. Pour the drippings into a fat separator or a large measuring cup. Set the pan over 2 burners on medium heat. If using flour as a thickener, add 2 tablespoons of the separated fat to the pan and sprinkle with 1/4 cup flour; whisk to combine. Slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup flour. While whisking, slowly add 2 cups stock and 2 cups defatted drippings and bring to a simmer. (You should have about 1/2 cup leftover drippings-reserve to adjust the consistency of the gravy before serving.) Cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. If using cornstarch as a thickener, whisk it with 1/3 cup stock in a small bowl. Add the remaining 1 2/3 cups stock and 2 cups defatted drippings to the pan and bring to a simmer. While whisking, slowly add the cornstarch mixture and whisk until thickened.
• Pour the gravy into a serving bowl or gravy boat and stir in finely chopped herbs. Carve the turkey and serve with the gravy.

WHITE WINE BASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• Serves 12 to 14 If your roasting pan only fits sideways in the oven, turn the pan every hour so the turkey cooks and browns evenly.
• For step-by-step photos, see our Roast Turkey and Gravy feature.
• Rinse turkey with cool water, and dry with paper towels.
• Let stand for 2 hours at room temperature.
• Place rack on lowest level in oven.
• Heat oven to 450°.
• Combine melted butter and white wine in a bowl.
• Fold a large piece of cheesecloth into quarters and cut it into a 17-inch, four-layer square.
• Immerse cheesecloth in the butter and wine; let soak.
• Place turkey, breast side up, on a roasting rack in a heavy metal roasting pan.
• Remove pop up time if there is one, use regular meat thermometer in thick part of leg.
• Fold wing tips under turkey.
• Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper inside turkey.
• (Stuff loosely if you choose, I do not stuff) Tie legs together loosely with kitchen string (a bow will be easy to untie later).
• Fold neck flap under, and secure with toothpicks.
• Rub turkey with the softened butter, and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and pepper.
• Lift cheesecloth out of liquid, and squeeze it slightly, leaving it very damp.
• Spread it evenly over the breast and about halfway down the sides of the turkey; it can cover some of the leg area.
• Place turkey, legs first, in oven.
• Cook for 30 minutes.
• Using a pastry brush, baste cheesecloth and exposed parts of turkey with butter and wine.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350°, and continue to cook for 2 1/2 more hours, basting every 30 minutes, you will need to reheat the butter-wine mixture occasionally as the butter will harden.
• Watch pan juices; if the pan gets too full, spoon out juices, reserving them for gravy.
• After this third hour of cooking, carefully remove and discard cheesecloth.
• Turn roasting pan so that the breast is facing the back of the oven.
• Baste turkey with pan juices.
• If there are not enough juices, continue to use butter and wine.
• The skin gets fragile as it browns, so baste carefully.
• Cook 1 more hour, basting after 30 minutes.
• After this fourth hour of cooking, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh.
• Do not poke into a bone.
• The temperature should reach 180° (stuffing should be between 140° and 160°) and the turkey should be golden brown.
• The breast does not need to be checked for temperature.
• If legs are not yet fully cooked, baste turkey, return to oven, and cook another 20 to 30 minutes.
• When fully cooked, transfer turkey to a serving platter, and let rest for about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the gravy.
• Pour all the pan juices into a glass measuring cup.
• Let stand until grease rises to the surface, about 10 minutes, then skim it off.
• Meanwhile, place roasting pan over medium-high heat.
• Add 1 cup dry red or white wine, or water, to the pan.
• Using a wooden spoon, scrape the pan until liquid boils and all the crisp bits are unstuck from pan.
• Add giblet stock to pan.
• Stir well, and bring back to a boil.
• Cook until liquid has reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
• Add the defatted pan juices, and cook over medium-high heat 10 minutes more.
• You will have about 2 1/2 cups of gravy.
• Season to taste, strain into a warm gravy boat, and serve with turkey.

ROAST TURKEY WITH WHITE-WINE GRAVY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325° F.
• Rinse turkey inside and out and pat dry. Fold neck skin under body and fasten with a small skewer. Using small skewers secure wings to body. Transfer turkey to a rack set in a roasting pan and melt butter. Brush inside of turkey with some butter and season with salt and pepper. Put herb sprigs inside body cavity. Brush outside of turkey with remaining butter and season with salt and pepper. Loosely tie drumsticks together with kitchen string. Roast turkey in middle of oven 1 hour.
• Add water to pan and roast turkey, basting every 20 minutes, 2 hours more, or until a meat thermometer inserted in fleshy part of a thigh registers 175° F. and juices run clear when thigh is pierced. Transfer turkey to a heated platter and reserve juices in pan. Remove skewers and discard string. Let turkey stand 30 minutes.
• While turkey is standing, make gravy:
• Finely chop onion. Skim fat from reserved pan juices and reserve 1/2 cup fat (for sautéing onions, below, and for stuffing). On top of stove deglaze pan with wine over moderately high heat, scraping up brown bits, and boil mixture until reduced to about 1/2 cup. Add 4 cups stock and bring to a simmer. Pour wine mixture through a sieve into a saucepan.
• In a large, heavy skillet sauté onion in 1/4 cup reserved fat over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until browned, about 15 minutes. Stir in flour and cook roux over moderately low heat, whisking, 3 minutes. Bring wine mixture to a simmer. Add hot wine mixture to roux in a fast stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, and simmer, whisking occasionally, 10 minutes. Whisk in additional stock to thin gravy to desired consistency. Season gravy with salt and pepper and transfer to a heated sauceboat.
• Garnish turkey with herb bouquet and serve with gravy.

SIMPLE ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Remove any giblets from the cavity and reserve for stock or gravy. Pat turkey and turkey neck dry with paper towel; rub turkey all over with 1/2 teaspoon salt per pound of turkey, the pepper and the lemon zest, including the neck. Transfer to a 2-gallon (or larger) resealable plastic bag. Tuck herbs and 6 garlic cloves inside bag. Seal and refrigerate on a small rimmed baking sheet (or wrapped in another bag) for at least 1 day and up to 3 days, turning the bird over every day (or after 12 hours if brining for only 1 day).
• Remove turkey from bag and pat dry with paper towels. Place turkey, uncovered, back on the baking sheet. Return to the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to 12 hours to dry out the skin (this helps crisp it).
• When you are ready to cook the turkey, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature for one hour.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees. In the bottom of a large roasting pan, add the cider and enough wine to fill the pan to a 1/4-inch depth. Add half the onions, the remaining 6 garlic cloves and the bay leaves. Stuff the remaining onion quarters and the lemon quarters into the turkey cavity. Brush the turkey skin generously with oil or melted butter.
• Place turkey, breast side up, on a roasting rack set inside the roasting pan. Transfer pan to the oven and roast 30 minutes. Cover breast with aluminum foil. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh reaches a temperature of 165 degrees, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours more. Transfer turkey to a cutting board to rest for 30 minutes before carving.

MOIST AND TENDER TURKEY (OR TURKEY BREAST)

Steps:

• Place turkey or turkey breast in a roasting pan.
• (I use a disposable roasting pan) Combine melted butter and chicken broth.
• Pour over turkey.
• Rub mayonnaise all over turkey's exterior.
• Salt and pepper lightly if desired.
• Roast at 300°-325°F until internal temperature reaches 170°F on an instant read thermometer. (I raise the temperature to 350° for the last approximate 30-45 minutes to crisp skin).
• (I roast my 18-20 lbs. fresh turkey at 250°F in a convection oven. It takes about 4 hours to reach the correct temperature.).
• Remove from oven and let sit for about 30 minutes before slicing.
• Note: because the butter and broth are for making gravy, if you need to make a lot of gravy, double the amount of both.
• To make gravy: pour pan drippings into a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add 1 Tbls. cornstarch per cup of broth/drippings to 1/4 cup cold water. (You'll usually need 2-3 Tbls) Mix well to dissolve. Stir cornstarch mixture into broth and stir until thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste. If too thin, dissolve more cornstarch in water and add until desired thickness. If too thick, add water or more broth to thin.