TURKEY

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, finely diced

2 large stalks celery, finely diced

3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

8 ounces mild Italian pork sausage (or chicken or turkey sausage), casings removed

½ cup white wine

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped, plus a teaspoon or more for gravy

1 large egg, beaten

9 cups bread, cubed

1 ¾ cups chicken broth

3 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped

1 whole 5 to 6-pound turkey breast, skin on, boned and butterflied

1 turkey thigh, deboned (optional)

kosher salt and pepper, divided

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

flour for the gravy

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

salt and pepper

One of the outstanding recipes in A Taste of Quadra Island is the Rolled Turkey Breast. It elevates the turkey dinner to a higher level.

Rolled Turkey Breast with Sausage and Herb Stuffing

YIELD SERVES 8     OVEN 375°F     CONTRIBUTOR ANGELA PRINGLE, Hillcrest Farm

Angela Pringle and her husband Etienne Côté raise turkeys and pigs on pasture in Courtenay, having started out in farming on Quadra Island - where they still supply many of their original customers. She recommends this recipe for complex flavours and moist results achieved in half the time it takes to roast a full turkey with stuffing.

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 375°F, and set an oven rack in the middle.

Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and celery. Cook, stirring frequently, until soft. Add garlic and sausage, breaking up the meat until sausage is cooked and lightly browned. Add wine, rosemary, and thyme. Cook for 2 minutes more, and scrape the pan drippings to incorporate them. Remove from heat.

In a large mixing bowl, combine egg, bread cubes, chicken broth, parsley, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and sausage mixture. Stir until all bread is moistened.

Place the butterflied turkey breast skin-side down on a work surface, and cover with plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, pound turkey breast to an even ½ inch thickness. Rub meat with 1 tablespoon of oil, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.

Spoon about half the stuffing evenly in a ½-inch layer over turkey breast, leaving a 1-inch border all around. If adding thigh meat, place it on top of stuffing. (Place the extra stuffing in a buttered 8-inch baking dish, and bake separately for the last 40 minutes while turkey is cooking).

Roll the turkey into a long cylinder, starting at the end with less skin to ensure the skin ends up mostly on the outside of the roll. Don’t worry if the stuffing peaks out in some spots. Tie the roll with kitchen string every 1½ inches. Trim strings.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place an over-proof rack on top. Place turkey seam-side down on the rack. Drizzle with remaining tablespoon of oil, and season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.

Roast turkey for about 1 hour and 15 minutes (longer if including thigh), or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 155°F. Remove turkey from oven and let it rest, loosely tented with foil, for 15 minutes. The temperature of the turkey will rise to 165°F as it rests.

Snip and discard kitchen string from turkey roll. Transfer roll to a cutting board to slice and arrange on a platter.

While the turkey rests, make the gravy. Add enough flour to the pan drippings to absorb the fat and whisk for a few minutes, to brown the flour. Add fresh thyme, salt and pepper to taste. Whisk, cooking for 5 minutes at a low temperature. Thin to the desired consistency using hot vegetable cooking water, and adjust the seasonings. Whisk and cook, bubbling, for 10 to 15 minutes, adding more hot water as needed.