Turketta

Inspired by who Knows where we find the delicious stuff

Perfectly paired with our hope & grace Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands

If you have not purchased the wine to accompany the recipe, click HERE.

Ingredients

4 tbsp. (2 oz.) butter, at room temperature
1⁄4 cup minced fresh sage leaves
4 medium garlic cloves, minced (1 Tbsp.)
1 tsp. fennel seeds
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 whole, single boneless turkey breast, skin-on (2 lb. 2 oz.)
2 oz. smoked mozzarella, diced
8 oz. pancetta, sliced about 1/8 inch thick, then unrolled slightly
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 250ºF.

Use a long, thin knife to butterfly the turkey breast, carefully slicing it along the longer side, and unrolling it until it is a long, even strip, about 1½ inches thick. With the skin side facing down, spread the turkey breast evenly with the compound butter, then top with the smoked mozzarella in an even layer. Starting with the narrow end, tightly roll up the meat so that the skin is once again on top and the seam is on the bottom. Neatly layer the pancetta slices over the skin side and use cotton kitchen twine to tie the turketta tightly 3 times crosswise and once lengthwise. Refrigerate the prepared meat (unwrapped) until you are ready to cook it, up to 24 hours ahead of time.

Two hours before you plan to serve, preheat the oven to 375°F. Set the turketta in a large cast iron skillet or medium roasting pan and brush it all over with the olive oil. Roast until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 130°F, 55–60 minutes. (The lean meat will continue cooking in the hot skillet for several minutes out of the oven, so we prefer to pull it out a few degrees before it is fully cooked to around 150°F.) Remove from the oven, tent the turketta and the hot skillet loosely with foil, and let it rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Immediately transfer the roast to a cutting board; cut away the twine and discard. Thinly slice the roast crosswise, and serve hot.

Serve with your favorite hope & grace red wine.