Rolled Turkey Breast with Cranberry Pecan Stuffing
A boneless stuffed turkey breast is easier to cook and serve than the traditional whole roast bird, and it will cook more evenly, too.
Servings: 4 (4-6 as part of a buffet)
Calories: 599kcal
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium brown onion finely chopped
- 4 slices stale white bread cut into 1/2 inch (1cm) cubes
- 4 leaves Swiss chard or a large handful of spinach leaves, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup pecans toasted and chopped
- 2/3 cup chicken stock
- 1 1/2 tsp flaky salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 4 sprigs thyme leaves picked
- 2 lb boneless turkey breast skin on (a smallish single breast is about the right weight)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil extra, for drizzling
Instructions
Make the stuffing
- Heat the oil in a frypan over medium heat, and fry the onion until it's softened but not colored. Add the cubed bread and cook, stirring often, until it’s crisped and beginning to turn golden. Remove the pan from heat and add the chopped Swiss chard or spinach, cranberries and pecans. Give it all a stir and let the chard soften slightly from the heat of the pan. Pour in the stock, then add salt, pepper and thyme leaves. Mix well until the bread is breaking down and soft from the stock. Chill until completely cold, about 1 hour.2 Tbsp olive oil, 4 slices stale white bread, 1 medium brown onion, 4 leaves Swiss chard, 1/2 cup dried cranberries, 1/2 cup pecans, 2/3 cup chicken stock, 1 1/2 tsp flaky salt, 1 tsp ground black pepper, 4 sprigs thyme
Stuff the turkey
- Preheat your oven to Combi Steam, 375ºF/190ºC, 30% (low) humidity. Lay the turkey out on a large board, skin side down. Carefully cut a flap in the thickest part of the meat and open it out, then use a meat mallet to flatten everything to about an inch (2.5cm) thick.2 lb boneless turkey breast
- Pile about half of the stuffing lengthwise down the center of the meat (use the other half as a baked stuffing side dish; see notes). Lift one of the long sides of the turkey and bring it up over the stuffing, then gently roll to enclose the stuffing with the seam side down and skin up. The idea is to create a roll that's as even as possible in thickness, so it cooks evenly. Tie bakers twine at 1 inch (2.5cm) intervals around the roll to secure. If you think the roast isn't going to hold together well, you can tie an additional piece of twine around longways to make sure it's properly trussed.
Cook the roast
- Cook the roast. Place stuffed roast in a baking dish. Drizzle with additional oil and season well with salt and pepper. Cook until the center of the roast reads 165ºF/74ºC on a thermometer, about 30-45 minutes. A couple of times during cooking, baste the roast with pan juices.2 Tbsp olive oil
- Remove the cooked roast from the oven and leave to rest in a warm place. If you’d like to make gravy with the pan juices, take the turkey out and wrap loosely in aluminum foil while you do this. Cut into thick slices and serve hot, warm or chill and serve cold.
Notes
- This is a small roast meant for 4-6 people as part of a buffet. You can easily double it by using two turkey breasts (also referred to as a double breast in some stores). The cooking time will increase with the fatter, larger roll but it likely won't need to be doubled.
- A meat probe or instant-read thermometer is very handy for stuffed roasts as it’s the most accurate way to check whether everything is cooked through. The internal temperature of the roast should reach 165ºF/74ºC. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can cook according to the stuffed weight of the roast. In a combi steam oven, it’ll take approximately 15 minutes per pound (450g).
- The stuffing makes about double what you need, but it's really not worth making less as you can turn the excess into an excellent side dish! Use what you need to stuff the meat, then pile the rest of the mixture into a buttered or oiled baking dish where it'll fit snugly. Drizzle with olive oil and bake the stuffing alongside the turkey roll until it's golden on top and fluffy-tender underneath. Serve it warm with the roast.
- Want to vary the stuffing? Use almost any dried fruit in place of the cranberries, and almost any nut in place of the pecans! I love apricots, figs or sour cherries for the fruit component, and macadamias or pistachios for the nuts. If you want to go further, stuffing is excellent made with cubed cornbread. It gives a completely different flavor profile and the nuttiness from the cornmeal is wonderful.
- Need a gluten free stuffing? I've successfully used GF white sandwich bread for this recipe and it worked beautifully.
Nutrition
Calories: 599kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 55g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 124mg | Sodium: 1633mg | Potassium: 924mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 3041IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 116mg | Iron: 4mg
