Sausage and Chestnut Stuffed Turkey Breast
Whether it's for Thanksgiving or Christmas impress your family and friends with this show-stopping Sausage & Chestnut Stuffed Turkey Breast! Wrapped in crispy pancetta it's packed full of flavour and so juicy, perfect served with plenty of gravy and your favourite sides.
Servings: 10 - 12 servings
Calories: 662kcal
Ingredients
- 5 - 5.5 lbs single boneless turkey breast (2.2 - 2.5kg)
- 1 lbs smoked pancetta strips or smoked bacon (480g)
- 2 large white onions
- 2 large carrots
- Salt and pepper
- 1-2 tablespoon olive oil
For the stuffing
- 6 pork sausages (14 oz/400g)
- ½ cup cubed smoked pancetta (2.2 oz/65g)
- 1 apple grated
- 2 cloves garlic finely grated or minced
- ½ cup chestnuts roughly chopped (100g)
- 2 tablespoon fresh rosemary finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon fresh sage finely chopped
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
Make the stuffing
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C).
- Remove the sausage meat from their casings and put in a large bowl. Add all other ingredients for the stuffing and mix together using your hands or a spoon until thoroughly combined, set aside.
Prepare the turkey breast
- Carefully remove the skin from the turkey breast. Butterfly the turkey breast by cutting lengthwise from the thickest part of the breast without cutting it all the way through so it opens up like a book. You may or may not have an extra fillet underneath the breast like we have (see photo 4) but don’t worry just make sure to cut above it and try not to separate it from the breast.
- Place some plastic wrap (cling film) over the turkey breast so it’s covered and beat it with a rolling pin or meat mallet until 1 inch thick, set aside.
Assemble and roll
- On a clean work surface lay out sheets of plastic wrap that’s big enough to wrap around the whole breast. Lay the strips of pancetta or bacon over the plastic wrap overlapping each slice by ¼ inch (1cm) at the sides and by 1 inch at the ends (see photo 6).
- Place the butterflied turkey breast in the middle of the pancetta and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the sausage stuffing in the middle of the breast and shape into a log.
- Starting from the side closest to you, roll the turkey breast right over the stuffing using the plastic wrap to keep it tight. Keep rolling until the turkey resembles a log and is tightly wrapped, tuck the ends in with the pancetta. Remove the plastic wrap.
How to tie it up
- To secure the turkey breast, tie a piece of kitchen string around the whole length of the breast tying a knot in the middle.
- Next, work your way from the middle to each end tying individual pieces of string over the breast about 1 inch apart.
Roasting
- Drizzle a large roasting pan with olive oil. Cut the carrots and onions in half and place them in the centre of the pan. Place the turkey breast on top of the carrots and onions then cover with foil.
- Roast for 50 minutes then remove the foil and roast for another 1 hour and 25 minutes until cooked through and the pancetta is crispy. The tukey should have an internal temperature of 165F/74C.
- Remove from the oven and let it rest for at least 1 hour. You can leave it for 30 minutes if you are short on time but I find 1 hour makes it extra juicy and delicious. See note 6 to make gravy.
Video
Notes
1. Turkey cooking times - Cooking times can vary depending on how hot your oven is, how big your turkey is and even how often you open the oven door. The best way to tell is by using a meat thermometer inserted right into the middle of the meat, it should read 74C/165F.
2. No need to baste - the great thing about this recipe is that there is no need to baste it. The sausage and apple in the stuffing help keep the inside juicy and the fat from the pancetta around the outside helps baste the turkey without you doing a thing.
3. Roasting - carrots and onions are used to prop up the turkey from the roasting pan this helps the heat radiate underneath.
4. Storage - Leftovers will keep well in the fridge for 5-7 days or can be frozen. If your turkey was previously frozen you must re-freeze it within 3 days.
5. What to do with leftovers - leftover turkey is just as good if not better than it is served on the day. We love to make leftover turkey sandwiches with red onion chutney or serve it BLT style with tomato, lettuce and a little mayo. You could also serve leftovers in a salad or add to casseroles.
6. Gravy - To make a simple yet delicious gravy remove the turkey from the roasting pan to rest. Scrape all the juices, onion and carrots into a saucepan on a medium-low heat.
Add 1 cup of dry white or red wine (250ml). Next, add 3 cups (750ml) of good quality chicken stock and bring to a simmer.
Simmer for 30 minutes then remove the vegetables. Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoon of water and add to the pan. Bring it back to a simmer and stir until thickened, taste and add any salt if needed.
Nutrition
Calories: 662kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 71g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 230mg | Sodium: 784mg | Potassium: 343mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1771IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 4mg