Who says you have to roast an entire turkey for Thanksgiving? Sure, a formal bird can be grand, but one of our favorite turkey-day shortcuts is just as grand in flavor.
The recipe comes to us from Tequesta personal chef Lenore Pinello, who roasts this holiday-worthy turkey breast. The white meat is made extra moist because it's slathered with bacon-sage butter.
Her full recipe is below. But first, let’s walk through a quick tutorial:
MAKE a compound butter with fine bacon crumbles and finely chopped sage and rub it onto the skin-on turkey breast.
Credit: Richard Graulich
Credit: Richard Graulich
It should look like this...
Credit: Richard Graulich
Credit: Richard Graulich
PLACE breast in roasting pan and pour chicken or turkey broth and a little white wine into the bottom of the pan.
Credit: Richard Graulich
Credit: Richard Graulich
ROAST at 375F degrees, uncovered, for about 1 hour, until a meat thermometer reads 160F degrees. Let turkey rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
Here’s the reveal...
Credit: Richard Graulich
Credit: Richard Graulich
RECIPE: TURKEY BREAST WITH SAGE BUTTER
Ask your butcher to roll and tie a large turkey breast, leaving the skin on.
For the turkey:
- One 7-pound boneless turkey breast, with skin on
- 1 cup of chicken or turkey broth
- ¼ cup white wine
For the rub:
- Bacon, 4 slices, cooked and crumbled
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Make rub:
- In a bowl, combine bacon, sage, butter, salt and pepper and mix well to make a compound butter. (Make ahead: The sage butter can be made ahead and frozen for later use.)
Roast turkey:
- Preheat oven to 375F degrees.
- Rub sage butter mixture on all sides of the turkey breast.
- Place breast in a roasting pan. Pour broth and wine into pan.
- Bake uncovered for 1 hour, until thermometer registers 160F degrees.
- Remove pan from oven. Remove turkey breast from pan and place in a rimmed sheet or board with a deep trench. (Reserve drippings to make gravy, or for serving.)
- Let turkey breast rest for at least 15 minutes.
- Remove butcher string and slice breast.
— Recipe by Chef Lenore Pinello, owner and chief cook at In the Kitchen, Tequesta.
About the Author
