Roasted Boneless Turkey Breast Served
We all know about the endless ways of preparing a turkey, including a different preparation found in every moms and grandmothers recipe card file. Brined, marinated, injected, smoked, roasted, deep-fried, rotisserie, the combinations and ingredients are mind numbing.
This roasted boneless turkey breast recipe is another winner, and I am here to tell you it is so quick and easy to prepare, you may never go back to another way of putting out that holiday meal. Not only is it easier to make, but it is healthy too, and with only 220 calories per 5-ounce serving, it is sure to please any discriminating palate.
So, how do get from start to finish on this wonderful Roasted Boneless Turkey Breast Served, as shown in the image above?
The Step-By-Step
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Step 2. Bind each turkey breast separately with a 1 yard length of kitchen string to form a solid, tight and uniform width throughout the length of the breasts. This will ensure even cooking throughout the meat. Evenly season all sides of the turkey breasts with the sea salt and fresh black pepper.
For a demonstration on cinching up your boneless turkey breast, you can follow along with similar procedures found in this recipe for a boneless leg of lamb Smoked Leg of Lamb with Rosemary Sauce.
Bind the turkey breast with kitchen string
Step 3. Arrange the onions, celery, carrots, (Mirepoix) and garlic in a single layer onto a large roasting pan, and reserve for step 5. Optionally you can add fresh herb sprigs such as rosemary and thyme with the mirepoix and garlic.
Mirepoix, French for onions, celery, carrots
Step 4. In a large nonstick sauté pan heat the olive oil until just smoking, and then brown the turkey breasts well on all sides. Turning after 4 to 5 minutes on each side, with total browning time being about 16 to 20 minutes.
Browning the turkey breasts in saute pan
Be sure to brown on all sides.
Browning the turkey breasts in saute pan on all sides
Step 5. Remove the turkey breasts from the sauté pan and transfer them to the roasting pan with the Mirepoix mixture, spacing evenly distributed with both browned breasts in the pan.
Step 6. Roast in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, checking thereafter every 15 minutes, until the internal temperature is measured with a meat thermometer at 160° F. Depending on your oven the time may vary.
Step 7. Remove from the oven and allow the turkey breasts to rest for about 20 minutes, this allows the juices to redistribute.
Roasted turkey breasts resting for 20 minutes
Step 8. Once rested, gently remove the kitchen string using a set of kitchen shears, then brush a generous even layer of Dijon mustard over each turkey breast, and then sprinkle evenly and generously with the chopped fresh parsley.
Brushing with Dijon mustard
Parsley crusted turkey breast
To Serve: Transfer the turkey breasts to a serving platter, then cut into thin slices and serve it with your favorite sauce or gravy on the side.
Slicing the boneless turkey breasts
Sliced boneless turkey breast, ready for service
What you will need…
| Ingredients |
| 2 |
4 ½ lb |
Boneless, skinless turkey breasts |
| 2 |
Yards |
Butchers twine or kitchen string, divided |
| 2 |
Tbsp |
Olive oil |
| 1 |
Large |
Onion, coarse chopped |
| 3 |
Stalks |
Celery, coarse chopped |
| 3 |
Medium |
Carrots, coarse chopped |
| ½ |
Tbsp |
Sea salt |
| ½ |
Tbsp |
Fresh ground black pepper |
| 12 |
Cloves |
Garlic, peeled, whole |
| ½ |
Cup |
Dijon mustard |
| ¾ |
Cup |
Fresh parsley, finely chopped |
| Procedure Steps: |
| 1. |
Preheat the oven to 350° F. |
| 2. |
Bind each turkey breast separately with a 1 yard length of kitchen string to form a solid, tight and uniform width throughout the length of the breasts. This will ensure even cooking throughout the meat. Evenly season all sides of the turkey breasts with the sea salt and fresh black pepper. |
| 3. |
Arrange the onions, celery, carrots, (Mirepoix) and garlic in a single layer onto a large roasting pan, and reserve for step 5. Optionally you can add fresh herb sprigs such as rosemary and thyme with the mirepoix and garlic. |
| 4. |
In a large nonstick sauté pan heat the olive oil until just smoking, and then brown the turkey breasts well on all sides. Turning after 4 to 5 minutes on each side, with total browning time being about 16 to 20 minutes. |
| 5. |
Remove the turkey breasts from the sauté pan and transfer them to the roasting pan with the Mirepoix mixture, spacing evenly distributed with both browned breasts in the pan. |
| 6. |
Roast in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, checking thereafter every 15 minutes, until the internal temperature is measured with a meat thermometer at 160° F. Depending on your oven the time may vary. |
| 7. |
Remove from the oven and allow the turkey breasts to rest for about 20 minutes, this allows the juices to redistribute. |
| 8. |
Once rested, gently remove the kitchen string using a set of kitchen shears, then brush a generous even layer of Dijon mustard over each turkey breast, and then sprinkle evenly and generously with the chopped fresh parsley. |
To Serve: Transfer the turkey breasts to a serving platter, then cut into thin slices and serve it with your favorite sauce or gravy on the side.
Yield: 24 5-ounce portions
Bon appetite!
CCR
=:~)
©2010 CCR
Tags: Holidays · Recipes · Weight Watchers
Turkey Stock
We saved the leftover turkey bones, wings, legs, and about three pounds of meat from the Thanksgiving dinner, and I froze all of this to use in this Holiday Gumbo. The original turkey was about 22 pounds, and with this size bird, there is plenty of leftovers to make a wonderful turkey gumbo.
Serve with steamed or boiled white rice with this healthier gumbo version, it has no roux, no oil or butter, and is thickened only with the okra and filé slurry.
Gumbo Filé
A short history of Filé
Filé is ground sassafras leaves, and is a popular flavoring agent used primarily in gumbo, some soups and stews in Cajun and Creole recipes. Gumbo filé powder is a necessity for cooking authentic Creole or Cajun cuisine. Quite simply, gumbo filé powder is the powdered leaves of the sassafras tree.
Long before the use of filé powder for Creole and Cajun cooking, American Indians pounded sassafras leaves into a powder and added them to soups and stews. In addition to contributing an unusual flavor, the powder also acts as a thickener when added to liquid.
Filé Powder Slurry
Before adding a large amount of the filé powder to your gumbo you will want to create a slurry by whisking it into a small quantity of cool water, then adding this slurry to the gumbo. This will prevent any lumps of the powder forming in your final product.
A word on kitchen scraps: In the stock portion of this recipe you will find that I mention using any kitchen scraps. In my kitchen I keep a kitchen compost bin with various organic material that eventually gets recycled in my outdoor garden compost bin. These scraps consist of various items such as onion peels, garlic skins, carrot shavings, unwanted celery stalks, herb twigs and stems, tomato peels, and such. These are typical food scrap items that can be added to any stock and result in added flavoring and richness of taste. Use these scraps for all your liquid stock needs.
A Pictorial Step-By-Step
Step 1. The turkey stock, close to 8 cups of finished liquid. Gather up the turkey wings, legs, and bones, onions, celery, carrots, and any other kitchen scraps you may have on hand and place them into a large stock pot and cover with the cool filtered water. Bring to a simmer, and then keep covered on a low simmer for up to 8 hours. Strain and reserve the turkey stock liquid. Allow the turkey parts to cool, and then remove the meat from the bones.
Finished Turkey Stock
Step 2. In the large stock pot add the strained turkey stock, turn the heat to high, and then add the chopped onions, celery, bell pepper, and garlic. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer over medium heat.
Gumbo Step 2
Step 3. Add the smoked sausage, the tasso, all the spices and bay leaves, the Worcestershire sauce the stewed tomatoes, and okra. Bring back to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer over medium heat. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
Tasso
The stewed tomatoes added.
Stewed Tomatoes
Add the okra.
Add the okra to gumbo
Step 4. Add the turkey meat, the filé powder slurry, Crystal hot sauce and allow to simmer about 5 minutes.
Chunked turkey meat added to gumbo
Step 5. Season to taste with the salt and pepper.
Season to taste
| Ingredients |
| For the stock… |
| 5 |
Lbs. |
Turkey wings, legs, and bones from a 22 lb. avg. turkey carcase. |
| 1 |
Gal |
Filtered cool water |
| For the gumbo… |
| 3 |
Cups |
Onions, chopped |
| 3 |
Cups |
Celery, chopped |
| 1 |
Cup |
Bell pepper, chopped |
| 12 |
Cloves |
Garlic, minced |
| 1 |
Lb. |
Smoked sausage, sliced |
| 4 |
Oz. |
Tasso, diced |
| 1 |
Tbsp. |
Italian seasoning |
| 1 |
Tsp |
Thyme |
| 1 |
Tsp |
Basil |
| 3 |
Each |
Bay leaves |
| 1 ½ |
Tbsp |
Worcestershire sauce |
| 6 ½ |
Cups |
Stewed tomatoes, chopped |
| 3 |
Lb. |
Okra, sliced |
| 3 |
Lb. |
Turkey meat, cubed |
| 4 |
Tbsp |
Filé powder plus ¼ cup cold water, whisk to make a slurry |
| 1 |
Tbsp |
Crystal hot sauce |
| To taste |
Salt and pepper |
| Procedure Steps: |
| 1. |
Gather up the turkey wings, legs, and bones, onions, celery, carrots, and any other kitchen scraps you may have on hand and place them into a large stock pot and cover with the cool filtered water. Bring to a simmer, and then keep covered on a low simmer for up to 8 hours. Strain and reserve the turkey stock liquid. Allow the turkey parts to cool, and then remove the meat from the bones. |
| 2. |
In the large stock pot add the strained turkey stock, turn the heat to high, and then add the chopped onions, celery, bell pepper, and garlic. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer over medium heat. |
| 3. |
Add the smoked sausage, the tasso, all the spices and bay leaves, the Worcestershire sauce the stewed tomatoes, and okra. Bring back to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer over medium heat. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes. |
| 4. |
Add the turkey meat, the filé powder slurry, Crystal hot sauce and allow to simmer about 5 minutes. |
| 5. |
Season to taste with the salt and pepper. |
To Serve: Ladle portions into soup cups or bowl and serve with steamed or boiled white rice.
Yield: 32 cups
Gumbo is ready!
Gumbo is ready!
Cup of gumbo!
Cup of gumbo!
We served our gumbo with a batch of Cajun Country Rice, we received 3 pounds of the samples, and this is a great white rice in the Cajun tradition, perfect for any gumbo or Cajun and Creole preparation that calls for white long grain rice.
Cajun Country Rice
Bon appetite!
CCR
=:~)
©2010 CCR
Tags: Cajun · Creole · Culture · Recipes · Soups
Chicken Bryan
Nothing like perfecting one more restaurant menu item knock off than one from another chain, nevertheless Carrabba’s Italian Grill does have some really good food. This recipe consists of grilled chicken breast meat which is topped with tempered goat cheese and smothered in a basil and sun-dried tomato beurre blanc sauce.
Saute Chicken Breast
While it was way to cold outside to fire up the grill on the back deck the other night, I did pan sauté the olive oil coated and seasoned chicken breasts and while the nice char smoky flavor was missing, the cheese and sauce elements remained. So, if you want to enjoy this restaurant favorite in your own home, here is the recipe.
Goat Cheese Slices
Sun-dried Tomato Beurre Blanc
| Ingredients |
| For the sauce… |
| 1 |
Tbsp |
Butter |
| 1 |
Tbsp |
Olive oil |
| 2 |
Tbsp |
Garlic, minced |
| ¼ |
Cup |
Shallots, minced |
| ½ |
Cup |
White wine |
| ¼ |
Cup |
Lemon juice |
| 1 ½ |
Cups |
Sun-dried tomatoes, oil-packed, julienne |
| ¼ |
Cup |
Fresh basil, chopped |
| ½ |
Tsp |
Sea salt |
| ½ |
Tsp |
White pepper |
| 10 |
Tbsp |
Whole butter, cut into cubes, room temperature |
| For the chicken… |
| 8 |
Each |
Boneless chicken breasts, 4 ounces each |
| 1 |
Tbsp |
Olive oil |
| ½ |
Tsp |
Sea salt |
| ½ |
Tsp |
Black pepper |
| 8 |
Oz |
Goat cheese, cut into 16 slices
|
| Procedure Steps: |
| 1. |
For the sauce in a medium sauce pan, heat the olive oil and butter, then sauté the garlic and shallots until soft and translucent, or about 5-8 minutes. Add the white wine and lemon juice, and then bring to a rolling simmer and allow to reduce the liquid volume by half. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, basil, sea salt and white pepper, stir well to incorporate. Set aside. |
| 2. |
Fire up your grill and get the coals and grate hot. Brush your chicken breasts with the olive oil then season with the sea salt and black pepper. Grill on both sides until done, and then hold in a warm oven. |
| 3. |
When the chicken is done, bring the sun-dried tomatoes up to temperature (re-heat) in the sauté pan, then turn off the heat and slowly add the room temperature butter cubes, one at a time until smoothed into the sun-dried tomato mixture to create the beurre blanc sauce. |
Chicken Bryan
To Serve: Place one chicken breast on the plate, top evenly with two slices of the goat cheese, then spoon about ¼ cup of the sun-dried tomato basil beurre blanc sauce. Serve with your favorite vegetable or starch on the side. We served ours with steamed cauliflower and baby carrots.
Yield: 8 servings
Bon appetite!
CCR
=:~)
©2010 CCR
Tags: French Cuisine · Italian · Recipes · Sauces
If you do not have the time or inclination to make your own Worcestershire, well, when I am in a pinch my favorite brand of store bought or restaurant quality Worcestershire sauce is Lea and Perrins. In fact, just below here is a short list of recipes that I have incorporated and used this prepared sauce for added flavor. I have been using this brand of Worcestershire sauce since the early 1980’s and prefer it to any other store brand, it really is that good in my culinary opinion.
Foodbuzz Tastemaker program offered several coupons for purchasing free bottles of the L&P Worcestershire sauce, so I have already bought one bottle, and still have a few coupons left. If you would like to win one of these coupons please comment on this post and I will use a random generator to pick a lucky commenter as a winner on Monday, December 27, 2010 at 0900 EST.
|
|
Getting ready to add some L&P Worcestershire sauce to a big pot of Smoked Turkey and Sausage Gumbo. Aieeee…..
|
Homemade Worcestershire Sauce
This restaurant recipe typically yields about 3 gallons of the fine sauce, however, in this home kitchen version, it will yield about 6 cups, or 3 1-pint jars for you canning and preserving freaks, like myself. If you are preserving this sauce, fill the three 1-pint jars to within ½-inch headspace, then process in the boiling water method for 15 minutes. Store for 3 weeks before use for the flavors to meld, and then it keeps for up to one year or longer. Or refrigerate the sauce for up to a month when made fresh or opened.
| Ingredients |
| 2 |
Tbsp |
Herb infused olive oil |
| ¾ |
lb |
Fresh horseradish root, grated |
| 4 |
each |
Jalapeno’s, chopped |
| 8 |
Cups |
Onions, chopped |
| 1/4 |
Cup |
Garlic, chopped |
| ½ |
Tbsp |
Fresh ground black pepper |
| 4 |
Ounces |
Anchovies, coarse chopped |
| ½ |
Tsp |
Whole cloves |
| 2 |
Tbsp |
Sea salt |
| 2 |
each |
Lemons, juiced |
| 1 |
Quart |
Dark Karo syrup |
| 2 |
Cups |
Steen’s corn syrup |
| 2 |
Quarts |
White vinegar |
| 1 |
Quart |
Water, filtered |
| Procedure Steps |
| 1. |
In a large stock pot heat the olive oil and then sauté the horseradish, jalapeno’s, onions, and garlic until soft and aromatic. |
| 2. |
Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and allow the liquid to reduce by half the amount, or about 6 hours over a very low heat. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon. |
| 3. |
Strain the sauce through a sieve or colander, allow the sauce to cool then store refrigerated for up to one month. |
| 4. |
Optional: Have three 1-pint canning jars with lids and rings prepared in a canning pot, and ready to fill. Fill the Worcestershire sauce with a ½” headspace, clean the rims, and then seal tightly with the lids and rings. Process the filled and sealed jars in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Then turn off the heat and allow to sit in the water bath another 5 minutes. Remove the jars from the water bath and allow to cool for 24 hours on a clean kitchen towel. Label the jars and store in a cool dry place for up to one year. Be sure to refrigerate any opened and unused sauce for up to one month. |
Remember, comment and you could win a coupon for a free jar of L&P Worcestershire sauce.
Bon appetite!
CCR
=:~)
©2010 CCR
Tags: Recipes · Sauces
