Whole Turkey Breast with Walnut-Raisin Stuffing
- 12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter
- ½ cup finely chopped leeks (white and pale green parts)
- 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
- 1 medium celery rib, finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 cups seasoned bread stuffing cubes (about 11Â ounces)
- 1½ cups Homemade Turkey Stock 101
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup toasted, coarsely chopped walnuts
- 1½ teaspoons poultry seasoning, preferably homemade
- One 7-pound whole turkey breast
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- About 31/3 cups Homemade Turkey Stock 101
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Instructions:
Your guests will love its traditional flavors in a contemporary setting, and you will appreciate its easy preparation.
- To make the stuffing, in a medium skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-low heat. Add the leeks, carrot, and celery, and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper, and transfer to a large bowl. Add the remaining 10 tablespoons butter to the skillet and melt. Pour into the bowl. Add the stuffing cubes, stock, raisins, walnuts, and poultry seasoning, and mix well.
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Rinse the turkey breast under cold water and pat dry. Slip your fingers underneath the skin to loosen it from the breast. Spread about one-third of the bread mixture under the skin, smoothing it to an even thickness. Place the remaining stuffing in a buttered casserole and cover to bake later as a side dish. Place the turkey breast on a roasting rack in a roasting pan. Brush with the melted butter and season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Pour 2 cups water into the pan.
- Roast, basting occasionally, until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast reads 170°F, about 2¼ hours. During the last 30 minutes, drizzle the reserved stuffing with 1/3 cup broth and bake with the breast to reheat.
- Transfer the breast to a serving platter and set aside. Meanwhile, pour the drippings from the roasting pan into a separator cup. Let stand 5 minutes; then pour off the drippings and reserve the drippings and fat. Measure 1/3 cup fat, adding melted butter, if needed. Add enough turkey stock to the drippings (there won’t be many) to make 3 cups total.
- Place the roasting pan over a stove burner on low heat. Add the reserved turkey fat. Whisk in the flour, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan, and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the turkey stock. Cook, whisking often, until the gravy has thickened and no trace of raw flour flavor remains, about 5 minutes. Season the gravy with salt and pepper. Transfer the gravy to a warmed gravy boat.
- Carve the turkey and serve with the stuffing and gravy.