Admittedly, I don’t really like turkey because it can be bland. yes, jerk turkey The one I shared is a fan favorite and one in my house, so there are exceptions. I created this recipe for those days when I wanted something different for dinner, but I don’t think it’s necessary to roast a whole turkey. By the way, leftovers make great turkey sandwiches.
What you need…
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
6 sprigs of rosemary (split)
6 bottles of thyme (split)
8-12 cups of water
5 green onions (split)
turkey breast (over 7 pounds)
1 stick of butter (salted)
6 cloves garlic (broken)
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon parsley (finely chopped)
2 cups chicken stock
6 sage leaves
Note! We recommend watching the video below, as it explains the recipe in detail, especially how to brine the turkey breast and its importance. If you would like to make this recipe gluten-free, please check the entire list of ingredients to ensure they meet gluten-free dietary requirements (primarily the chicken stock used).
I have not saved any images of the salting process, but please see the video below. Make a brine by combining salt, sugar, water, 2 sprigs of thyme, 2 sprigs of green onion, and 2 sprigs of rosemary. put the turkey (unzipped) Place in salt water, sternum side up, and leave for 3-4 hours. You will get better results if you bring it in overnight. Place the turkey/brine in the refrigerator.
Remove turkey from brine, rinse under cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Watch this video to learn how to split a turkey breast from the bottom.
Make a compound butter by adding soft butter, black pepper and 3 sprigs of thyme. (finely chopped)1 sprig of rosemary (finely chopped)crushed garlic and 2 green onions (finely chopped),parsley.
Please be kind. Use your fingers to separate the skin from the pulp and place some of the blended butter on top. Massage to spread it evenly.
Apply the remaining herbal butter to the surface of your skin.
Once the oven is preheated to 350°F, add the chicken stock, sage, remaining green onions, thyme, and rosemary to the roasting pan. This will add flavor when roasting the turkey and will later be used as a base for turkey gravy.
I used a wire rack, but you could also use coarsely chopped carrots and/or celery to keep it elevated above the liquid so the turkey roasts and doesn’t “boil”.
Place foil loosely over turkey and roast on center rack of oven.
After 2 hours, remove the foil and roast uncovered for the last 30 minutes. Hint! For a 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 registers 165°F. In my case, it took 2 and a half hours since my breasts were 7 pounds.
At the 2 hour mark, I drained the liquid from the bottom of the pot to make the gravy.
Don’t forget to leave it on for about 15-20 minutes (covered) After removing from the oven, let it rest before slicing.
