Thanksgiving Turkey Roulade

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Turkey Roulade
Turkey Roulade

Photograph by Adeline Borra

You could make your usual Thanksgiving turkey, and nobody would blame you. But if you’re looking to impress the room with something new (but still turkey), try this elegant turkey roulade. Prep the dish on Wednesday so come Thanksgiving day, you just need to pop it in the oven.

Ingredients for 6 to 8 people

4 Turkey breasts (tenderloin)
5 pounds sweet Italian sausage
1 egg
1 sweet yellow onion
2 rosemary sprigs freshly chopped
2 tbsp of dried porcini, rehydrated in hot water for 30 minutes, and then chopped
1 teaspoon Five Spice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 slices bread, soaked in milk
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
Salt and white pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ pound thinly sliced smoked bacon
1 cup of white wine
1 cup chicken broth

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Soak the bread in the milk for 15 minutes; strain.

Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat, then add the onion, garlic, and sauté, stirring until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl with the soaked bread, parsley, rosemary, Five Spice, sausage, egg, porcini, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Knead to combine. On a flat surface,

Meanwhile, butterfly the thicker end of the breasts, folding over toward the thinner end to form a shape as close to a rectangle as possible. Cover one breast with plastic wrap, and, using a meat mallet, pound the meat to about ½ inch thick, 1 foot long, and 8 inches wide; repeat with other breasts.

Season the surface of the breasts with a sprinkling of salt and white pepper. Then spread stuffing over the surface of the turkey evenly. Roll tightly to make a roulade. Arrange the bacon in overlapping slices in vertical rows, on a 12-inch board, making a 12-inch-long-by-9-inch-wide rectangle. Place the turkey roulade in the center of the bacon, and wrap up and around to fully encase the breast. Tie with butcher’s twine to secure. Repeat with the others breasts.

Place turkey roulades in the center of a baking dish with the butter and then 1 cup of white wine. Bake for 25-30 minutes, turning the logs ¼-turn every 10 minutes. Add 1 cup of chicken broth and cook again for 20 more minutes. The roulade would be ready when the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees. Remove from the oven and rest for 10 minutes. Cut the roulade into ½-inch slices. Serve hot.

Adeline’s tip:  Serve the roulade with a buttery celery root and gold potatoes purée and some sautéed wild mushrooms.

About Adeline: Adeline Borra is private French chef and culinary instructor at Cook’s Warehouse. Born in Montpellier, France and raised in the wine region of Burgundy, she’s trained in high-profile kitchens across France. After spending three years in Torino, Italy, she and her family moved to Atlanta in 2006. Learn more on her website, macuisinebyadeline.com

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