Description
Ina Garten’s barefoot contessa turkey roulade delivers impressive holiday elegance with minimal kitchen stress. Herbed butterflied turkey breast rolls into a succulent centerpiece that delights guests and simplifies festive meal preparation.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 whole turkey breast (5 lbs / 2.3 kg), boned and butterflied
- 0.75 lb (340 g) pork sausage, casings removed (mix sweet and hot)
- 3 cups (180 g) herb-seasoned stuffing mix (e.g., Pepperidge Farm)
- 0.75 cup (110 g) dried figs, large-diced, stems removed
- 0.75 cup (90 g) dried cranberries
- 3 tbsps pine nuts, toasted
- 0.5 cup (120 ml) Calvados or brandy
- 0.5 cup (120 ml) water
- 1.5 cups (360 ml) chicken stock, preferably homemade
- 4 tbsps (55 g) unsalted butter
- 40 g unsalted butter, melted
- 1.5 cups (2 medium) onions, diced
- 1 cup (3 stalks) celery, diced
- 1.5 tbsps fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 extra-large egg, beaten
- 2 tsps kosher salt
- 2 tsps black pepper
Instructions
- Fruit Preparation: Combine figs, cranberries, Calvados, and water in a saucepan. Simmer gently for 2 minutes, then let steep to develop deep, complex flavors.
- Vegetable and Sausage Sauté: Melt butter in a large skillet, sauté onions and celery until translucent. Introduce ground sausage, crumbling and cooking until richly golden and completely done.
- Stuffing Assembly: Merge the fruit mixture, rosemary, and toasted pine nuts with the sausage base. Transfer to a mixing bowl and fold in dry stuffing mix, chicken stock, beaten egg, kosher salt, and black pepper until uniformly combined.
- Turkey Preparation: Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F). Lay turkey breast skin-side down, season generously. Spread stuffing evenly across the surface, leaving a small margin. Roll carefully from one end, encasing the stuffing completely.
- Roulade Binding and Roasting: Tie the rolled turkey with kitchen twine at regular intervals. Place seam-side down on a rack over a baking tray. Brush with melted butter and season. Roast for 1¾ to 2 hours until internal temperature reaches 65°C (150°F).
- Resting and Serving: Remove from oven, tent loosely with foil for 15 minutes. Slice into elegant portions and serve with additional stuffing alongside.
Notes
- Prep Like a Pro: Simmering fruits in Calvados creates deep, complex flavor layers that elevate the entire stuffing mixture.
- Master Meat Technique: Break sausage into tiny crumbles while cooking to ensure even browning and prevent clumping.
- Secure Rolling Skills: Use kitchen twine at consistent intervals to maintain a tight, uniform roulade shape that prevents stuffing from escaping.
- Temperature Precision: Let turkey rest after roasting to allow internal juices to redistribute, guaranteeing a moist and tender final result.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg