Recipe: Turkey Spiral with Onion-Dried Cherry Stuffing

TURKEY SPIRAL WITH ONION-DRIED CHERRY STUFFING

ONION CHERRY STUFFING:
6 tablespoons salted butter
1 cup diced yellow onions
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced mushrooms
1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups diced, day-old bread
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh sage
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/8 teaspoon celery seed
1/3 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
3/4 cup coarsely chopped dried tart cherries
1/2 cup turkey or chicken broth
2 eggs, beaten

TURKEY:
1 whole turkey breast, bone in weight 5 to 6 pounds
Stuffing from above
2 tablespoons salted butter, melted

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, celery, mushrooms, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook 7 to 10 minutes, or until just beginning to brown.

Add bread, sage, rosemary, thyme, parsley, celery seed, hazelnuts and dried cherries. Cook 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

Add broth and eggs, stirring well to combine. Set aside until cool enough to handle.

TO FORM TURKEY SPIRAL:
Bone out turkey breast lobes, keeping skin intact. Lay each lobe onto work surface, skin side down.

Cutting from where center breast bone was, butterfly breast open. (Slice turkey breast horizontally, not all the way through.) Open up butterflied turkey breast, keeping skin side down, and pound lightly to even thickness to about 1 inch overall.

Divide stuffing mixture in half; place on flesh side of each turkey breast lobe. Spread mixture evenly and pat into place. Roll up turkey breast, jelly-roll style, so the skin ends up on the outside of the roll. Repeat with other lobe of turkey breast.

Place each turkey spiral onto a large piece of aluminum foil. Brush turkey all over with melted butter. Tightly seal up turkey breast in foil. (This will prevent it from unrolling while baking.) Place foil wrapped spirals onto a baking sheet.

Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven 30 minutes. Open up foil to expose top of spiral and baste with accumulated pan drippings.

Bake another 30 to 45 minutes basting occasionally, until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes before slicing. Then slice into 1/2 inch slices and serve. This also makes beautiful turkey sandwiches!

Makes 12 servings; approximately 5-1/2 ounces each, baked.
Source: Cherry Marketing Institute