Turkey Breast Roulade With Garlic and Rosemary

Published Nov. 18, 2020

Turkey Breast Roulade With Garlic and Rosemary
Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
3 hours
Rating
4(1,093)
Comments
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Ina Garten has been known as the Barefoot Contessa since she opened a gourmet store by that name in East Hampton, N.Y., in 1985. She shared this recipe from her book “Modern Comfort Food” with The Times for Thanksgiving in 2020, when many cooks were looking for alternatives to whole turkey. If you don’t like fennel seeds, leave them out: Garlic, sage and rosemary give this roast the flavors of Italian porchetta, and it will still be fragrant, juicy and delicious without them. —Julia Moskin

Featured in: How Does Ina Do It?

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Ingredients

Yield:8 to 10 servings
  • 4tablespoons good-quality olive oil
  • 1large yellow onion, chopped (about 1½ cups)
  • ¾teaspoon whole fennel seeds
  • 6garlic cloves, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
  • 1tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves, plus 4 whole sage leaves
  • 1tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
  • 1whole butterflied boneless, skin-on turkey breast (about 4 to 5 pounds)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼cup cold unsalted butter (½ stick)
  • 4ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
  • 1cup dry white wine, such as Chablis
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)

362 calories; 15 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 14 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 39 grams protein; 2204 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

  2. Step 2

    Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium (10-inch) skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and fennel seeds and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the onion is tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Off the heat, stir in the chopped sage and the rosemary; set aside to cool.

  3. Step 3

    Set the turkey breast on a cutting board and open it up, skin side down. If necessary, pound the turkey to an even thickness of about 1 inch. Sprinkle the turkey with 4 teaspoons salt and 1½ teaspoons pepper. Once the onion mixture has cooled, spread it evenly on the meat. Grate the butter and sprinkle it on top. Arrange the prosciutto on top to totally cover the filling and meat.

  4. Step 4

    Starting at one long end of the turkey breast, roll the meat up jelly-roll style to make a compact cylindrical roulade, ending with the seam side down. Tie the roulade tightly with kitchen twine at 2 to 2½-inch intervals to ensure that it will roast evenly. Slip the whole sage leaves under the twine down the center of the roulade.

  5. Step 5

    Place the roulade, seam side down, in a roasting pan and pat the skin dry with paper towels. Brush the skin with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Pour the wine and 1 cup water into the roasting pan, surrounding the turkey with the liquids without pouring them directly over the roulade. Roast for 1¼ to 1½ hours, until the skin is golden brown and the internal temperature is 150 degrees.

  6. Step 6

    Remove from the oven, cover the turkey with foil, and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Remove the string, slice the roulade crosswise in ½-inch-thick slices, and serve warm with the pan juices.

Ratings

4 out of 5
1,093 user ratings
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Comments

Two tips for this or any turkey breast roulade: - Butterfly or pound out and salt generously 1-2 days ahead (dry brine) - Before filling, remove the skin in one piece, then fill and roll and re-cover with the skin and tie. This way it’s all crispy skin on the outside and no soft flabby skin rolled up inside.

Genius tip on the skin! Doing it.

I am going to try this, but will be adding a bunch of fresh spinach to the filling. It's what I have done in the past for veal and pork and it's just a great combo with these flavors.

This was fantastic and it impressed my guests. I didn't plan on making this for Thanksgiving initially, so my turkey breast could have been a better cut. Still! Working with the cut I had, this was one of the best turkey dishes I've had. I tented some foil over the breast while it baked, and it was so juicy. I would definitely make this again. And with the thyme, it had that distinct Thanksgiving seasoning, which was prefect because I forgot to make the stuffing.

This was moist and delicious and a hit. Couldn't bring myself to include all the salt listed for fear I'd be oversalting. It was fine with just 1/2 of what's recommended.

I've made this twice now; once exactly as written; most recently w/a turkey half-breast (2 lb). Halved all ingredients; went easy with salt. Left out fennel seed this time. Turned out great both times, moist and flavorful. Started w/half the liquid, ended up needing all of it. Total cook time (on convection roast) was about 50 min. Pan juices are fabulous and would make a great gravy with a nice browned roux and a bit of stock. Looking forward to sandwiches!

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Credits

Adapted from “Modern Comfort Food” by Ina Garten (Clarkson Potter, 2020)

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