recipe box Wednesday

Turkey breasts are popular at our house.  I said TURKEY breasts.  (however, I have found my 13 year old son paying way too much attention to the Victoria Secret commercials...)

I had picked one up when they were very well priced around the holidays, and the original plan was to have a lovely turkey dinner last Sunday, when it was very cold out.  I wanted to heat the house up with a warm kitchen, and smell those happy aromas all afternoon.

But things didn't work out that way, and instead Mike made his famous spaghetti that had originally been planned for Wednesday night.  The best laid plans...

Since I had made my favorite brined turkey for Thanksgiving, I decided to go with another tried and true favorite:  Ina Garten's Herb-Roasted Turkey.  Yes, I am obssessed with the Barefoot Contessa.  This recipe is in "How Easy is That?" and in many places on-line.

Here you go:

Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast

1 whole bone-in turkey breast, 6 1/2 to 7 pounds

1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)

2 teaspoons dry mustard

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves (I used a tsp of dried)

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (I used a tsp of dried)

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons good olive oil

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup dry white wine (I ended up using a whole bottle, basting and and adding more as it cooked away)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place the turkey breast, skin side up, on a rack in a roasting pan. (I cooked mine at 350 degrees, and it took nearly 3 hours.  I finally realized my thermometer had broken, but it wasn't overdone-thank goodness!)

In a small bowl, combine the garlic, mustard, herbs, salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice to make a paste. Loosen the skin from the meat gently with your fingers and smear half of the paste directly on the meat. Spread the remaining paste evenly on the skin. (It's messy, but it smells heavenly!)  Pour the wine into the bottom of the roasting pan. (and add more as it cooks away)

Roast the turkey for 1 3/4 to 2 hours, until the skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest and meatiest areas of the breast. (I test in several places.) If the skin is over-browning, cover the breast loosely with aluminum foil. When the turkey is done, cover with foil and allow it to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Slice and serve with the pan juices spooned over the turkey (Even with using a whole bottle of wine-I didn't have much left for pan juices.)

I made Trader Joe's Cornbread Stuffing (adding some sauteed shallots, celery, and turkey sausage), candied yams, mashed potatoes, and fresh green beans with sauteed mushrooms to go along with the turkey breast.

Although it was a bit more work than our usual Tuesday night fare, it was such a treat to have a feast on a quiet January Tuesday night!  Charlie asked "What's the occasion?"  I guess it was 'let's not let a turkey breast spoil' night...