Herb Roasted Turkey Breast

Admittedly, I’m not a fan of Turkey, as it can be bland. Yes, the Jerk Turkey I shared is a fan fave, and so is in my home, so there are exceptions. I created this recipe for days when we want something different for dinner, but I don’t see the need for roasting an entire turkey. By the way, the leftovers make excellent turkey sandwiches.

You’ll Need…

1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
6 sprigs Rosemary (divided)
6 sprigs thyme (divided)
8-12cups water
5 scallions (divided)
turkey breast (7 lbs +)
1 stick butter (salted)
6 cloves garlic (crushed)
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon parsley (finely chopped)
2 cups chicken stock
6 leaves of Sage

Notes! May I recommend that you follow along with the video below as much more about the recipe is discussed there, especially how and why it’s important to brine the Turkey breast. If making this recipe gluten-free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to ensure they meet your gluten-free dietary requirements – mainly the chicken stock you use.

While I didn’t save any images of the brining process, you may refer to the video below. Mix the salt, sugar, water, 2 spings of thyme, 2 scallions, and 2 springs of the Rosemary to create the brine. Place the turkey (thawed) breastbone side up into the brine and let it sit for 3-4 hours. Brining overnight will give you better results. Place the turkey/brine in the fridge.

Remove the Turkey from the brine, rinse with cool water, and pat dry with paper towels. See how I split the Turkey breast from the underside in the video.

Create a compound butter with the soft butter, black pepper, 3 sprigs thyme (finely chopped), 1 sprig Rosemary (finely chopped), crushed garlic, 2 scallions (finely chopped), and parsley.

Be gentle; use your fingers to lift the skin off the flesh, and place some of the compound butter. Massage in to spread evenly.

Spread the remaining herb butter on the surface of the skin.

As your oven preheats to 350 F, add the chicken stock, sage, remaining scallions, thyme, and rosemary to the roasting pan. This will perfume the Turkey as it roasts, which I use as the base for my Turkey gravy later on.

I used a wire rack, but you may use rough chopped carrots and/or celery to make sure Turkey is elevated above the liquid so it roasts and doesn’t ‘boil.’

Loosely, place foil to cover the Turkey and roast it on the middle rack in your oven.

After 2 hrs, remove the foil and roast uncovered for the final 30 minutes. TIP! For perfectly roasted Turkey, cook at 350 F for 20 minutes per pound or until an internal thermometer placed in the thickest part of the breast reads 165 F. In my case, my breast was 7lbs, so I went 2.5 hours.

At the 2hr mark I also removed the liquid from the bottom of the pan to create my gravy.

Remember to give it about 15-20 minutes (covered) to rest after removing it from the oven, and before slicing.

Source: caribbeanpot.com