If the thought of getting forearm-deep in a slimy turkey cavity and pulling out a baggie full of bird organs — giblets, anyone? — completely turns your stomach, fear not: a completely satisfying, innards-free Thanksgiving dinner is all too easy to make.
The presentation alone is sure to make your guests drool (or just yourself, if you’re more of the food hoarder type — I won’t judge). My friend Chris asked repeatedly, “so what’s in that again?” He kept analyzing the dish, thinking that there had to be more to it than hearty, just-moist-and-not-too-salty stuffing enveloped in a juicy turkey breast. It has so much flavor that it seems like there has to be a slew of exotic ingredients, intense preparations and/or black magic to taste so good.
And, unlike its traditional counterpart, this dish takes less time to thaw (though that turkey breast is thick, so keep it in the fridge to defrost the day before) and less time to cook.
Just beware of making it in front of your parents, or the big Thanksgiving feast may be in your hands.
Kitchen gadgets needed: deep-sided pot, wooden spoon (or spoonula), cutting board, knife, plastic wrap, meat tenderizer/mallet (can use a small hammer instead — wash it first!), sided baking sheet (or 9″x13″ baking pan), tin foil, meat thermometer
Ingredients:
- Turkey breast (2-3 pounds)
- salt & pepper, to season
- 4-5 slices of bacon (optional)
Sage Sausage Stuffing:
- 1 teaspoon sage
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 package of pork sausage (the crumbly kind you typically eat at breakfast; my standby is the 16-ounce roll of Jimmy Dean sage pork sausage)
- 4-5 stalks of celery
- 3 cups chicken broth (or one and a half 14-ounce cans)
- 1 bag of sage cubed bread (Pepperidge Farm and Archer make these stuffing starters)
- 1 cup water OR 2-3 tablespoons sour cream (the latter produces a creamier stuffing)
Time commitment: 30 minutes to prepare, 2ish hours to cook
Steps (7-9 servings):
1. Place the sausage in a frying pan on medium heat, breaking it up into bite-sized, crumbly bits with a wooden spoon. As the sausage begins to brown, add in the garlic powder, sage and chopped celery, stirring occasionally. Preheat the oven for 375 degrees.
2. Let the celery cook for about 4-5 minutes. Once the sausage is done (no pink should be visible), drain some of the excess grease. Place the sausage/celery mixture into a large pot, then pour in three cups of chicken broth, bringing it to a simmer.
3. When the broth is occasionally bubbling, turn off the heat, and pour in the cubed bread. Gently mix the stuffing until the bread has absorbed all the broth. If some of the bread remains crouton-like, gradually add a couple tablespoons of water or chicken broth until it’s the desired consistency. (Fluffy and moist, but not mushy.)
4. Let the stuffing cool for a few minutes, then taste it. Too salty? Not creamy enough? A tablespoon or two of sour cream will do the trick. If you’re going for a dairy-free stuffing, use water instead.
5. Now the fun part: Don’t be alarmed by the concept of ‘butterflying’ the turkey. Find the thickest part of the turkey breast and slice it nearly all the way in half, kind of like you’re making a book out of raw turkey. Flatten the breast out, then cover it in plastic wrap and, using a hammer/meat tenderizer, begin pounding away, until the turkey is about a 1/2-inch thick.
6. Remove the plastic wrap and lightly season the meat with salt and pepper. Then, create a line of stuffing along the edge of the turkey breast and roll it up so that the bird covers the stuffing like a tortilla in a burrito.
7a. Next, grab a sheet of tin foil that’s big enough to cover the turkey completely. If you want, line the sheet with slices of bacon, which will help ‘seal’ the roulade so it doesn’t unroll, and add a layer of flavor. Since we’re cooking the turkey in a foil packet, this step isn’t necessary; just encouraged.
7b. Place the rolled turkey breast seam down on the tin foil, then cover it and fold up the sides, creating a little packet to seal in the juices. (You could use twine to keep everything in place, but I find this less time consuming.) poke a meat thermometer into the packet, spearing the turkey into the stuffing.
8. Place the foil packet in the 9″x13″ pan or on the baking sheet, and stick it in the oven for 90 minutes. Check the meat thermometer — if it reads 155 degrees and a test-cut of the turkey reveals no pink inside, it’s ready. Mine needed another 30-35 minutes.
NOTE: Be careful — the foil, thermometer and pan can get H-O-T! Oven mitts are a must.
[nggallery id=39]