Recipe: Turkey Breast with Cremini, Porcini, and Pancetta Stuffing

TURKEY BREAST WITH CREMINI, PORCINI, AND PANCETTA STUFFING

"When you want to serve turkey elegantly and on a small scale, try this spectacular boned and stuffed breast. Although it will require more than an hour of your time to assemble the stuffing and to prepare the breast, both of these tasks can be done a day ahead. The breast roasts to a beautiful golden brown in about 45 minutes, far less time than a big bird would need. When carved, the slices are striking, with the dark, rich mushroom stuffing set against the luminous white turkey meat."

MATERIALS:
Kitchen twine
Short metal skewers, or wooden skewers that have been soaked in water for 30 minutes

FOR THE STUFFING:
3/4 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
4 ounces sliced pancetta, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 ounces brown mushrooms, such as cremini, chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely minced flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups fresh bread crumbs

FOR THE TURKEY:
1 boneless turkey breast half, about 2 3/4 lb, with skin left on, butterflied*
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, plus more if needed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup dry white wine
Several long sprigs parsley and rosemary for garnish

TO PREPARE THE STUFFING:
1. Put the porcini in a medium bowl and cover with 1 cup boiling water. Let stand until softened, for about 20 minutes. Over a medium bowl, strain the mushrooms with a fine strainer, pressing down to release as much liquid as possible. Chop the mushrooms; reserve the mushrooms and the strained liquid separately.

2. Place a large, heavy frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the pancetta and saut , stirring, until crisp, for 6 to 8 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels/absorbent paper to drain. Add the oil to the drippings in the pan and, when hot, add the brown mushrooms and onion. Saute, stirring, until the mushrooms start to brown and no liquid remains, for 6 minutes or more. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the pancetta, chopped porcini, parsley, rosemary, fennel seeds, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, and bread crumbs. Mix well and season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Stir in 3 tbsp of the reserved porcini mushroom liquid or just enough to moisten but not soak the bread crumbs. Cool to room temperature.

TO PREPARE THE TURKEY:
1. Cover the butterflied breast with a sheet of plastic wrap/cling film and, using a meat pounder or rolling pin, pound the meat into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle (about 14 by 10-inches). Remove the plastic wrap/cling film and season the breast with salt and pepper.

2. Pat the stuffing evenly over the turkey breast, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides. Sprinkle with additional porcini mushroom liquid if dry. Starting at a long end, roll into a cylinder and tie at 1-inch intervals. Close the ends of the roast with skewers. (The turkey can be prepared 4 hours ahead; cover and refrigerate.)

3. Arrange a rack at center position and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

4. Heat the oil in a large, flameproof roasting pan/tray set over 1 or 2 burners on medium heat. When hot, add the breast and brown on all sides, for 6 to 8 minutes.

5. Pour 1/3 cup chicken broth over the roast in the pan and brush with 1 tbsp butter. Cover the pan tightly with foil. Roast for 30 minutes, basting the roast 2 more times with 1/3 cup broth and with 1 tbsp butter. (Be careful to use mitts so that you do not burn yourself when you remove the foil to baste the bird.) Remove the foil and continue to roast until the turkey is evenly browned and an instant-read thermometer registers 170 degrees F when inserted into center of the roast, basting occasionally with broth and butter, for about 15 minutes longer. Total roasting time will be about 45 minutes. Transfer the turkey to a carving board and tent with foil. Let rest for 15 minutes while you make the sauce.

6. Pour the pan juices into a glass measuring cup. Add addi tional broth if needed to measure 1 1/4 cups liquid. In a small bowl, blend 2 tbsp of butter with flour to form a paste.

7. Place the roasting pan over medium-high heat and add 1 1/4 cups pan juices, any remaining porcini mush room liquid, any extra butter, and the wine. Cook for 5 minutes, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan with a whisk. A little at a time, whisk in the butter-flour mixture. Continue to whisk until the sauce thickens slightly, for about 3 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.

8. To serve, remove the strings and skewers. Cut the breast into 1/2-inch-thick slices and arrange them overlap ping on a platter. Garnish with bouquets of parsley and rosemary sprigs. Pass the sauce separately.

SUGGESTED SIDES: Mashed Potatoes, Honey-Glazed Carrots and Parsnips, and Cranberry and Dried Cherry Chutney would make delicious sides.

LEFTOVER TIP: Extra sliced turkey is delectable reheated and napped with leftover sauce, and the slices are equally good served at room temperature (without sauce) accompanied by a green salad tossed in a balsamic dressing.

MARKET NOTE: You can use metal turkey-lacing pins (available at super-markets) in place of skewers to secure the ends of the roast.

*COOKING TIP: For this recipe, a boneless turkey breast half is double butter-flied: The breast is split lengthwise down the center and opened, then each side is slit, this time horizontally, and opened. This will give you a nice rectangular piece. If you are on good terms with your butcher, smile and ask him or her to do this for you. If not, just follow the directions below.

Place the breast on a work surface, skin-side down, with the pointed, nar row end toward you. (If there is a tender on the underside of the breast, remove and save it for another use.) With a sharp knife, starting at the upper, thicker end of the breast, cut a lengthwise slit down the center of the breast, being careful not to cut all the way through and stopping 1-inch/2.5 cm from the pointed narrow end. With the knife held horizontal to the work surface, slice about one-half to two-thirds of the way through the center of each side of the breast and open each side up like a book.

Makes 4-6 servings
Adapted from source: Sunday Roasts: A Year's Worth of Mouthwatering Roasts by Betty Rosbottom