Turkey
Making a turkey breast (or legs and thighs if I’m in a dark meat kind
of mood) is actually much easier than making and dealing with an entire
bird. The cook time is less, the recipes tend to be a little more
interesting and while leftovers may be a tad scarce, it doesn’t take much
effort or time to make more.
The same safety tips should be in place any time you make turkey a turkey
breast as when you make a full bird.
Approx cooking time
4 to 6 lbs. breast...1 1/2 to 2 1/4 hrs.
6 to 8 lbs. breast...2 1/4 to 3 1/4 hrs.
If you choose to stuff your turkey breast use a food thermometer to check
the internal temperature of the turkey and the stuffing. The temperature
of a whole turkey must reach 180 and the center of the stuffing must reach
170. If the stuffing has not reached 170, continue cooking the breast
until the stuffing reaches 170.
Raw and undercooked turkey can be dangerous because of potential
salmonella problems. It’s important to thoroughly wash everything that the
raw turkey and its juices have touched. That includes all the utensils,
cutting boards and counter tops. Make sure you wash your hands very well
so the germs won't get on any other food or surface. Any leftovers should
be refrigerated within two hours after being served.
ROASTED ORANGE GLAZED TURKEY BREAST (meat)
1 5 to 6 pound turkey breast
2 medium oranges, sliced into thin rounds
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup orange marmalade |
2 teaspoons honey Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons orange juice |
Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a V shape roasting rack. Make small
slits in the top of the turkey breast and insert the garlic cloves. Place
the orange slices on top of turkey breast (over lapping them). Place the
turkey breast on the prepared rack. Roast for 35 to 45 minutes. While the
breast is cooking combine the marmalade, Dijon mustard, salt and orange
juice together in a small bowl. Mix well. Remove the orange slices from
the top of the breast and baste the breast with the 1/2 of the orange
glaze every. Cook for 15 minutes and then baste with the remaining glaze.
Cook a total of 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until meat thermometer, placed in
thickest part of the turkey breast, reads 170. Serves 6 to 8.
TURKEY BREAST BAKED WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS (meat)
This dish is good served on mashed potatoes. Make them your favorite way,
but try using prepared horseradish, about 2 teaspoons per 3 pounds of
potatoes for a really delicious side dish.
A Note about Herbs:
1. Soak herbs in cold water.
2. Add several drops of concentrated non-scented liquid detergent or
vegetable wash.
3. Agitate the herbs in the soapy water, in order to loosen the
sticking excretion of the bugs.
4. Using a heavy stream of water, thoroughly wash off the soap and
other foreign matter from the herbs.
5. Check both sides of each leaf under direct light.
6. If one or two insects are found, rewash the herbs.
7. If any insects are found after repeating the agitation process
twice, the entire bunch must be discarded.
Please note: To prepare herbs for use in soups, such as dill or
parsley, wash them thoroughly and place them in a cooking bag. |
1 boneless turkey breast half skin on about 3 1/2 pounds
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 to 3 sweet onions such as Maui or Vidalia sliced thin
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves |
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
freshly ground pepper to taste
3/4 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoon sliced green onions; optional
|
Preheat oven to 350. Dust turkey breast on both sides with the flour.
Heat the oil in large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the
sliced onions. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, about 5 to 7
minutes until they are slightly golden. Stir in the thyme, soy sauce,
balsamic vinegar and pepper. Place the turkey, skin-side up, in 9X13
baking pan. Pour the onion mixture on top, so that some stays on top of
turkey and some falls into pan. Pour the broth around turkey. Cover
loosely with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes; remove the foil. Bake
until instant-read thermometer reads 170 degrees when inserted into
thickest part of breast, 30 to 45 minutes. Let the breast rest 10 minutes.
Slice and serve. Serves 4 to 6.
ORIENTAL TURKEY BREAST (meat)
4 tablespoons margarine
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
|
1 4 to 6 pound turkey breast, thawed and cleaned
2 cups chicken or turkey broth, divided
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons flour
|
In small bowl combine margarine, garlic, Chinese 5-spice and ginger.
Evenly spread the mixture over turkey breast. In shallow roasting pan (10
x 15 x 2 inches) fitted with a V meat rack, place turkey breast on rack.
Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes. Add 1/2 cup broth to pan and baste with
pan juices. Turn turkey breast 1/4-turn every 20 minutes and baste until
all sides are golden brown and meat thermometer, inserted into thickest
portion, away from bone, registers 170 to 175. Remove turkey breast and
cover with foil to keep warm. Strain pan juices and skim off fat. Add
broth to equal 1 cup and return to roasting pan. In small bowl combine
water and flour. Whisk into broth mixture. Over medium heat, cook mixture
5 to 7 minutes or until slightly thickened. To serve, slice turkey and
serve with sauce. Serves 6 to 8.
TURKEY LEGS WITH VEGETABLES (meat)
A Note about Celery
1. Remove and discard all side leaves and branches.
2. Holding celery stalk firmly under a heavy stream of water, brush
down both the inside and outside of the celery stalk with your finger
or a vegetable brush.
3. If a worm is spotted in the celery stalk, slit open celery stalk,
remove worm and wash thoroughly. |
|
2 to 3 pounds
turkey legs with or without thighs
half of 1 lemon
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried leaf thyme, crumbled |
1 cup finely
chopped onion
1/4 cup margarine
2 to 3 carrots, sliced in 1/2-inch pieces
3 ribs celery, sliced in 1/2-inch pieces
1 potato, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup dry white wine |
Preheat oven to 400. If thighs are
attached, cut away from the legs with sharp knife. Rub turkey pieces with
the half lemon. In a bowl combine1 teaspoon of the salt with the pepper,
garlic powder, and thyme. Rub the mixture over the surface of turkey
pieces. In a heavy skillet, melt the margarine over medium-low heat. Sauté
the onion until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the carrot pieces,
celery, potato, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt, coating with the
margarine and onion mixture. Spread the vegetables evenly in a greased or
sprayed 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Top with turkey pieces in a single layer.
Heat wine in a saucepan just to the boiling point and then pour it over
the turkey legs. Bake, uncovered, for 1 1/2 hours, or until turkey pieces
are tender and juices run clear when pierced with a fork. If turkey is
becoming too browned, cover with foil. Serves 4.
TURKEY BREAST AND SWEET POTATO DINNER (meat)
If you like using cooking bags this is a wonderful recipe that combines
the sweetness of apples with sweet potatoes with the turkey.
1 tablespoon flour
6 pounds turkey breast, thawed, if frozen
1 medium onion, sliced
3 large sweet potatoes, peel, thickly sliced
2 Granny Smith apples, core, peel, chop |
1/2 cup apple juice concentrate, undiluted
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water |
Heat oven to 350. Shake flour in a large oven cooking bag and place bag
in 15x10-inch baking pan. Place turkey breast in bag and surround with
onion (separated into rings), potatoes and apples. In a bowl combine the
apple juice concentrate, thyme leaves, soy sauce and black pepper. Pour
the mixture over the turkey breast. Close the bag with tie and make six
1/2-inch slits in top of bag. Bake the turkey and potatoes in oven 1-1/2
to 1-3/4 hours or until breast is 170 on a meat thermometer in the
thickest part. Let breast stand 10 minutes. Carefully cut open bag and
transfer breast to a cutting board. Remove sweet potatoes to serving dish
and keep warm.
Transfer apple juice mixture to microwave-safe cup (should have around 2
cups). Stir together cornstarch and water in small dish until smooth;
blend into apple juice mixture. Cook on 100% power in microwave oven until
thickened, about 2-1/2 minutes, stirring after each minute. Slice turkey
breast and serve with sweet potatoes and sauce. Serves 6.
Eileen Goltz, a
professional chef and caterer, is the author of the new cookbook,
Perfectly Pareve.
© Eileen Goltz 2004
