Brined Roast Turkey Breast Recipes

BRINED AND ROASTED TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place the turkey breast in a large cooking bag; place the bag with the turkey in a large roasting pan or another large container (just in case the bag leaks).
• Add all brine ingredients to the bag, close the bag and then twist until the brine is covering the turkey. Use a twist-tie to secure the bag. Alternately, use a large, nonreactive covered container. Just make sure the turkey is completely covered with the brine (it is okay to increase the amount of brine for a container). Place the turkey breast in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
• Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse it thoroughly with cold water; pat the breast dry with paper towels.
• Place the turkey breast on a rack, breast side up, in a large roasting pan. Discard the brine.
• Rub the turkey with vegetable oil, butter, or extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Fill the cavity of the turkey breast with chunks of onion, fruit, and/or fresh herbs, if desired.
• Place a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the breast, not touching bone.
• Roast for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 F and continue roasting until the turkey breast registers at least 165 F, about 2 to 3 hours.

BRINED & ROASTED TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• The night before you want to roast your turkey, place clean turkey in a large container or pot (I use the inside dish of a Crock Pot). In a large bowl, add salt, sugar, and water (about 1-2 gallons, depending on the size of your turkey breast. You want to cover the turkey with the brine mixture. Stir the salt and sugar in the water until completely dissolved.
• Pour over the turkey and refrigerate for 12-14 hours.
• When you're ready to roast the turkey, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Take out the turkey and drain the brine liquid.
• Cut the apple into quarters and set them aside. Place the apples inside the cavity and sit the turkey upright (breast on top).
• Put turkey in roasting pan, on rack. Coat with olive oil outside the entire turkey. Sprinkle coarse salt, lots of fresh ground pepper, and sage -- everywhere (on top, sides, and in the cavity).
• Bake as directed for your size of turkey (5 pounds = about 1 3/4 hours). Bake uncovered!
• When done, let it rest 10 minutes before carving. Tasty, juicy turkey!! If the turkey isn't a beautiful brown, raise heat to 'broil' and broil for about 10 minutes.

BRINED ROAST TURKEY BREAST WITH HERB PAN GRAVY

Steps:

• Dissolve the kosher salt and sugar in the water in large, clean bucket or stockpot. Set the turkey breast in the brine, making sure it is submerged. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to overnight.
• Remove the turkey breast from the brine. Pat dry and set aside. Place the butter in a bowl; add the sage and thyme. Season the butter well with pepper and stir to combine. Set aside.
• Twenty minutes before roasting, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Place the turkey on a clean work surface. Using a chef's knife, remove the remaining portion of the neck and reserve it for the stock and gravy. Remove the wishbone to make carving easier; set it aside with the neck for the gravy. With your hand, carefully release the skin on both breasts to form two pockets. Rub the seasoned butter under the released skin. If there is any extra butter, massage it on the outside of the skin.
• Put the celery, carrots, and onions in a large roasting pan. Pour 1/2 cup of the chicken stock into the pan bottom to prevent the drippings from burning. Place the prepared turkey, skin side up, on top of the vegetables. Place the pan in the oven with the wide neck end toward the rear of the oven. Roast for 15 minutes, then rotate the pan back to front. Roast for 15 minutes more, until skin turns golden. Decrease the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and continue to roast, rotating the pan once more about halfway through the cooking, until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the breast registers 160 degrees F to 165 degrees F, 30 to 45 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the turkey breast to a cutting board, preferably with a moat. Cover the turkey loosely with aluminum foil. Pour the remaining 2 cups chicken stock into a saucepan. Add the reserved neck and wishbone and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to simmer.
• Place the roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add the flour to the pan drippings and stir until well combined. Strain the warmed stock over the flour-vegetable combination and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to simmer and cook until thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Strain the mixture into a saucepan (the saucepan that held the stock is fine to use), pressing on the vegetables to get every drop and all the flavor. Check and make sure the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon; if not, continue simmering the sauce until the correct consistency is achieved. (If it's too thick, add a little water or additional stock.)
• Carve the turkey breast and plate on a warm platter. Add any juices that run into the moat to the gravy. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper and serve with the gravy on the side.
• Combine 3 cups cranberries and 3/4 cup sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally,until the berries release their juices, about 8 minutes. Add the juice of 2 oranges (about 1/2 cup), 1/2 cup golden raisins, 1 cinnamon stick, and 1 star anise. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Peel 3 firm pears, then core and cut into 1/2-inch dice and add to the chutney with the finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon. Decrease the heat to medium-low and cook until the mixture thickens and the pears are tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

BEST BRINED TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• In 6-quart container or stockpot, mix water, salt and sugar; stir until sugar and salt are dissolved. Add turkey. Cover; refrigerate at least 12 hours but no longer than 24 hours.
• Heat oven to 325°F. Remove turkey from brine, rinse thoroughly under cool running water and pat dry.
• Place onion on center of rack in large shallow roasting pan; top with rosemary, thyme and bay leaves. Place turkey, skin side up, over onion and herbs.
• In small bowl, mix butter and wine. Soak 16-inch square of cheesecloth in butter mixture until completely saturated; cover turkey completely with cheesecloth. Roast 1 hour 30 minutes.
• Remove cheesecloth. Place onion and herbs in pan with drippings if using drippings to make gravy (or discard). Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is in thickest part of turkey and does not touch bone. Turn turkey skin side down. Roast 30 to 60 minutes longer or until thermometer reads 165°F.