Recipes

Turkey Breast Roulade with Pecan-Pancetta Filling

Serves 4-6

Not a traditional Thanksgiving roast, but this turkey is a showstopper nonetheless. A butterflied turkey breast is pounded then layered with a rich filling of pancetta, mushrooms, herbs and pecans, then rolled up tight and roasted to golden brown perfection.

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 ounces pancetta, diced small
1/4 cup finely diced shallot
1 cup finely diced mushrooms
1/2 teaspoon whole fennel seed
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage, plus 4-5 whole sage leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 whole butterflied boneless turkey breast with the skin on (5 to 6 pounds)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon softened unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 350°F convect (or 375˚F conventional).

Combine olive oil and pancetta in a large skillet and turn the heat to medium. Cook until the fat is mostly rendered and pancetta starts to get crispy, about 5 minutes. Add the shallot and mushroom and cook until softened, about 5 minutes longer. Add the fennel seed, garlic, red pepper flakes, and pecans and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped sage and thyme. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside to cool to room temperature.

Open the turkey breast on a cutting board, skin side down. (If any portion of breast, rib or wing bones are present, carefully remove these bones with a sharp knife while leaving the breast meat and skin intact). Pound breast lightly with a meat tenderizer until evenly 1-inch thick across. Season the meat with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Spread the prepared pecan filling evenly across the breast.

Starting at the left or right (short) side, roll the breast into a tight cylinder, skin-side-out. With the seam-side down, tie roast securely with butcher’s twine at 2-inch intervals to ensure that it stays together and cooks evenly.

Rub the outside of the skin with softened butter and tuck the whole sage leaves under the twine down the center of the roulade. Season again with salt and pepper.

Place the roulade on a roasting pan seam-side-down. Roast until the skin is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 150°F, about 60-80 minutes. Remove from the oven, cover with foil, and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the twine, then slice crosswise in ½-inch-thick slices. Serve warm.

Turkey Breast Pinterest Image