Boudin-Stuffed Turkey Breast
We based this recipe on one from chef Donald Link of New Orleans's Cochon and Herbsaint restaurants.
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Credit: Todd Coleman
turkey breast, trimmed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black
pepper, to taste
1 lb. pork boudin sausage, casings
removed
3 tbsp. canola oil
2 tbsp. minced fresh sage
2 tbsp. minced fresh thyme
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 lemon, thinly sliced
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1. Arrange turkey skin side down on a cutting board. Remove tenders and reserve for another use. Make a lengthwise cut about 3⁄4" deep down middle of each breast. Cover turkey with plastic wrap. Using the smooth side of a meat mallet, pound breast evenly to a 1 1⁄2" thickness. Season turkey with salt and pepper. Smear boudin over breast, leaving a 1" border around edges.
2. Beginning with one long side of the turkey breast, roll turkey into a cylinder so that the skin faces outward; set aside. Tie turkey crosswise at 1" intervals with eight 15" lengths of kitchen twine, then tie one 24" length of twine around length of breast to secure it. Trim excess twine with scissors. Place stuffed turkey on a plastic–wrapped baking sheet. Season turkey with salt and pepper; rub with oil, sage, and thyme and arrange garlic and lemon slices over turkey. Wrap with plastic wrap; chill overnight.
3. Heat oven to 350°. Unwrap turkey; remove garlic and lemon. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum
foil and set a rack inside baking sheet. Transfer turkey to rack and bake, basting with butter and turning turkey
every 20 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of the turkey reads 145°, 1–1 1⁄2 hours. Increase oven heat to 500° and continue cooking, turning once, until turkey is deep golden brown and an instant-read thermometer reads 150°, about 10 minutes more. Transfer turkey to a serving platter and let rest for 20 minutes. Remove kitchen twine. To serve, slice turkey crosswise into 1" pieces.
SERVES 8–10
Pairing note: This highly seasoned bird calls for a smoky shiraz, like South Africa's Nederburg Winemaster's Reserve 2008 ($11).
It was not bad, but for the amount of effort (considerable), was hoping for something other-worldly good. Part of that was I chose to make my own boudin from scratch, but outside of certain parts of the south, it's not something that's easy to find (if at all).
Couple of other notes: The recipe calls for a boneless breast, but you're more likely to find one still on the ribs and keel. Deboning a turkey isn't too hard, but it's not fun either. I've got a couple of small punctures in my hands for the trouble.
Not sure where that 1-1 1/2 hours cooking time comes from. My oven tends to run hot and even at 350 it took well over 2 hours to get it up to temperature (145). So if you're trying to time out a meal with lots of parts to it, I wouldn't rely on Saveur's cooking time (shocking, I know).
Finally, if you're doing this as part of a Thanksgiving dinner with traditional sides (mashed potatoes, stuffing, etc.) you're not likely to get any pan drippings. So if that's the source of your gravy beginnings, you'll need a back-up plan (I took the remnants from the deboning, made a stock and added that to a roux, which worked fine).
Overall, it was yummy, but again, way too much work for something that wasn't mind-blowing.
It was not bad, but for the amount of effort (considerable), was hoping for something other-worldly good. Part of that was I chose to make my own boudin from scratch, but outside of certain parts of the south, it's not something that's easy to find (if at all).
Couple of other notes: The recipe calls for a boneless breast, but you're more likely to find one still on the ribs and keel. Deboning a turkey isn't too hard, but it's not fun either. I've got a couple of small punctures in my hands for the trouble.
Not sure where that 1-1 1/2 hours cooking time comes from. My oven tends to run hot and even at 350 it took well over 2 hours to get it up to temperature (145). So if you're trying to time out a meal with lots of parts to it, I wouldn't rely on Saveur's cooking time (shocking, I know).
Finally, if you're doing this as part of a Thanksgiving dinner with traditional sides (mashed potatoes, stuffing, etc.) you're not likely to get any pan drippings. So if that's the source of your gravy beginnings, you'll need a back-up plan (I took the remnants from the deboning, made a stock and added that to a roux, which worked fine).
Overall, it was yummy, but again, way too much work for something that wasn't mind-blowing. Rating: 3