Turkey Roulade 
with Peach and Sage Gravy

I wanted to create a turkey recipe that was a little different than just the traditional roast. Using peach preserves and fresh sage leaves adds a bold yet approachable flavor.


Turkey Roulade 
with Peach and Sage Gravy
(Makes 6 to 8 servings)

Emeril Lagasse's Turkey Roulade with Peach Sage Gravy
Photo by Steven Freeman. Reprinted from Emeril at the Grill, HarperCollins Publisher, New York, © 2009 MSLO Inc. All rights reserved.

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Combine water, brown sugar, and salt in 2-gallon or larger stockpot, and whisk until sugar and salt have dissolved. Place turkey breast in stockpot and refrigerate for 8 hours.
  2. Remove turkey breast from brine, and pat dry with paper towels. (At this point you can proceed with recipe or refrigerate turkey up to 1 day until ready to cook.)
  3. Preheat oven to 350° F.
  4. Cut three lengths of kitchen twine to 32 inches, and lay across cutting board. Making sure skin is pulled down to cover as much of breast meat as possible, lay turkey breast, skin side down, on top of strings. Cover turkey with parchment paper or plastic wrap, and pound with heavy mallet or bottom of cast-iron skillet until thickest part of breast is no more than 2 inches thick.
  5. In large mixing bowl, use rubber spatula to combine breadcrumbs, bacon, ¼ cup reserved bacon fat, butter, garlic, parsley, and Original Essence or other seasoning.
  6. Lightly season turkey breast with Original Essence. Pack stuffing mixture tightly into 1-cup measure, and then empty stuffing onto middle of breast. Repeat two more times. Roll breast up as tightly as you can to form a cylinder, and use twine to tie breast together in three places. Snip off extra length of twine. (You can also tie twine vertically around breast, tucking in flaps at ends, if necessary to keep stuffing inside.) Brush olive oil all over roulade, and season lightly with Original Essence, kosher salt, and pepper.
  7. Heat large skillet or ovenproof roasting pan over medium-high heat. When hot, place turkey roulade into pan and sear until golden brown on all sides. Transfer pan to preheated oven and cook uncovered until center reaches an internal temperature of 155° to 160°F when tested with instant-read thermometer, 60 to 90 minutes. Remove turkey from oven and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.
  8. Remove strings and slice roulade crosswise into ½-inch-thick slices. Serve with Peach and Sage Gravy.

Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse, adapted from Emeril at the Grill, HarperCollins Publisher, New York, 2009, copyright MSLO Inc.