Herb-brined turkey breast in pancetta
SERVES 10 PREP AND COOK TIME 1 HOUR 35 MINUTES (+ REFRIGERATION AND STANDING TIME)
2 x 1.5kg turkey breast fillets, skin on 350g drained pitted green Sicilian olives 100g butter, softened
1 cup (100g) fresh breadcrumbs 2 teaspoons finely grated orange rind
¼ cup (40g) pine nuts, toasted
300g thin long pancetta slices
¼ cup (90g) honey
2 cups (500ml) chicken stock HERB BRINE
2 cups (500ml) white wine ½ cup (110g) raw sugar ¼ cup (65g) fine sea salt
6 fresh thyme sprigs
3 fresh bay leaves
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 HERB BRINE Place 2 cups (500ml) water, wine, sugar, salt, herbs and peppercorns in a medium saucepan. Bring to the boil, stirring, until sugar and salt dissolve. Transfer liquid to a large non-reactive container (6-litre/24-cup capacity); stir in
1 litre (4 cups) cold water.
2 Add turkey breasts to brine; cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.
3 Pulse olives, butter, breadcrumbs, rind and pine nuts in a small food processor to a coarse mixture. Season with freshly ground black pepper.
4 Remove turkey from brine; pat dry. Discard brine. Using your fingers, carefully loosen skin from flesh of turkey breasts; push olive mixture under skin. Press filling between skin and flesh to spread evenly.
5 Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fanforced). Place a wire rack in a large shallow flame-proof roasting pan.
6 Lay half the pancetta slices slightly overlapping on a large piece of plastic wrap on a work bench. Place turkey breast, skin-side down, on pancetta; wrap pancetta around turkey, using plastic wrap to secure. Repeat process with remaining turkey and pancetta.
7 Remove plastic wrap; tie turkey breasts with kitchen string at
2cm intervals.
8 Place turkey, skin-side up, on rack in roasting pan. Roast turkey for 1 hour or until internal temperature reaches 74°C on a meat thermometer or when the juices run clear when a skewer is inserted sideways into the thickest part of the breast. Cover loosely with foil if turkey is over-browning.
9 Transfer turkey to a plate; brush pancetta with honey. Cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Stand for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, skim fat from roasting pan. Place pan over medium heat; stir in stock, scraping any browned pieces from base of pan. Simmer for 10 minutes until reduced; transfer to a jug
10 Slice turkey; serve with gravy.
Not suitable to freeze or microwave.