Roasted Split Turkey Breast for Two

 

The other day when my sister and I were at the shops I decided to pick up a split turkey breast on the bone.  Turkey pieces are not always available where I live and so when I see them I like to buy them.  In the U.K. there was an abundance of turkey in many forms always available to purchase. I was rather spoiled!  

I often bought small boneless turkey breast roasts, ground turkey, or turkey scallopine/steaks.  Turkey is known as a superfood and is actually very good for you.  Much better than red meat at any rate. 

This half turkey breast was cheaper than buying a roast and was just the right size for a weeknight meal for the small family.  I found a recipe to adapt from Whole Lotta Yum. 

This is a simple and straightforward recipe.  It involves making a delicious herb butter which gets spread beneath and over the skin of the turkey breast portion prior to baking.  Aside from that it is just a matter of banging the turkey into the oven and roasting it.

It did not take near as long to cook as a conventional full turkey would take and because of the shorter cook time, plus that coating of butter and herbs, the end result was meat that was tender and juicy, not dry in the least. Perfectly cooked.

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE ROASTED SPLIT TURKEY BREAST 

It does seem like a lot of herbs, but don't worry, it works out beautifully.  The herb butter is incredibly delicious and makes for some really flavorful meat!  You can use fresh herbs rather than dry if you wish. Simply double the amounts if using fresh and chop finely.

• 1 bone in Split turkey breast (mine was about 3 pounds in weight)
• 1/4 cup (60g) salted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup (60ml) light olive oil or avocado oil
• 1/2 TBS dried thyme
• 1/2 TBS dried rosemary
• 1/2 TBS dried crumbled sage leaves (not the powdered)
• 1/2 TBS dried parsley leaves
• 1/2 TBS dried basil leaves
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt or kosher salt
• 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

 

My turkey breast was a fairly small one, on the bone. Free From by President's Choice, which means that it was free from any antibiotics and hormones.  If I am going to eat meat, fish or poultry, I prefer it that way.

It was not cheap, but at $17 and being able to get three to four meals from it, it was actually quite economical.   I had a roast dinner on the day, sandwiches the day after and there was even enough to make a small casserole and the bones made a good soup.

 

I used salted butter. I don't really keep unsalted butter in my house unless it is for a specific purpose that salted butter won't serve.

I used dry herbs, but fresh herbs would work very well if you have them.  Double the amounts and chop finely. Fresh herbs are not something that are readily available to me in the Winter months. I live in a really rural area and our resources are quite limited.

Also, if I am being really honest (and I like to be)  I tend to think that using fresh herbs in a way like these would be used is a bit wasteful. They are expensive and will be pretty dried out/cooked by the time you are done.  Dried herbs do a very good job.  The only herb that I might be tempted to use fresh would be the rosemary.

HOW TO PREPARE ROASTED SPLIT TURKEY BREAST

This is really quite a simple way to prepare a nice piece of meat that yields a perfectly cooked and juicy turkey breast. Don't be scared by the amount of herbs used. It works out perfectly.

Take your turkey breast out of the refrigerator. Unwrap, pat dry and place in the roasting dish, skin side up. Leave at room temperature for half an hour.

Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. While it is preheating whisk together the butter, oil and all of the herbs and seasonings thoroughly in a bowl.

 

Loosen the skin on the turkey breast by carefully sliding your fingers between the skin and the flesh. Take care not to tear it if possible. Place 1/4 of the butter/oil/herb mixture in between the flesh and the skin, coating the meat as thoroughly as possible.

Rub another 1/4 of the butter/oil/herb mixture over the top of the skin and the rest of the turkey breast.

Roast the turkey in the preheated oven at 20 minutes per pound.

 

Halfway through the cook time, remove from the oven and baste with the remainder of the butter/oil/herb mixture. Return to the oven and continue to cook until the turkey is golden brown and done. The temperature should register 160*F/71*C.

Remove from the oven, tent with foil and leave to rest for about 10 minutes. The temperature should rise to 165*F/75*C.

Carve the turkey from the bone in one piece. Slice against the grain of the meat with a sharp knife into 1/2 inch thick slices to serve. Leave the skin on when serving.

 

I was really pleased with how this turned out. Carving the whole section of breast meat from the bone allowed for simplicity in carving it into servings for dinner (and sandwiches!)  The meat was tender and juicy, perfectly cooked.

The herbs were on the skin and coating only, and allowed for plenty of juicy flavor which penetrated the meat and was really lovely, The skin ended up nice and crispy as well.

I enjoyed it as a dinner entree on the first day with some potatoes, stuffing and vegetables. I made a small cup of Bisto turkey gravy to enjoy with it.  There was enough leftover for a tasty sandwich and the bones made for a perfect soup. This is a great meal for the smaller family!

Turkey is one of my favorite proteins. In the U.K. I got very used to being able to buy it in portions and so it was something we ate frequently. Here are some of my favorite ways of preparing different portions. They might also become a favorite for you!

INSTANT POT TURKEY THIGHS - The thigh, or dark meat, is probably my favorite part of the roast turkey. Always delicious and tender, juicy, unlike the breast which can have the capacity to become dry. This method of cooking the turkey thighs in an Instant Pot always yields tender and juicy meat in a fraction of the time as it would take to cook it conventionally.

BLACK CHERRY SAUCED TURKEY STEAKS -Tender and delicious with a scrumptious sauce. Quantities are given for one serving only. Simply multiply for however many turkey steaks you are cooking!  Always juicy, never dry. The sauce for this has beautiful flavors which would also go well with chicken breasts, thighs or even salmon steaks.

Yield: 2 - 3

Author: Marie Rayner

Roasted Split Turkey Breast

Prep time: 30 HourCook time: 1 H & 20 MInactive time: 10 MinTotal time: 31 H & 30 M

A delicious alternative to cooking a whole turkey. Perfect for the smaller family. Easy to make and really delicious.

Ingredients

• 1 bone in Split turkey breast (mine was about 3 pounds in weight)
• 1/4 cup (60g) salted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup (60ml) light olive oil or avocado oil
• 1/2 TBS dried thyme
• 1/2 TBS dried rosemary
• 1/2 TBS dried crumbled sage leaves (not the powdered)
• 1/2 TBS dried parsley leaves
• 1/2 TBS dried basil leaves
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt or kosher salt
• 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Take your turkey breast out of the refrigerator. Unwrap, pat dry and place in the roasting dish, skin side up. Leave at room temperature for half an hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. While it is preheating whisk together the butter, oil and all of the herbs and seasonings thoroughly in a bowl.
3. Loosen the skin on the turkey breast by carefully sliding your fingers between the skin and the flesh. Take care not to tear it if possible. Place 1/4 of the butter/oil/herb mixture in between the flesh and the skin, coating the meat as thoroughly as possible.
4. Rub another 1/4 of the butter/oil/herb mixture over the top of the skin and the rest of the turkey breast.
5. Roast the turkey in the preheated oven at 20 minutes per pound.
6. Halfway through the cook time, remove from the oven and baste with the remainder of the butter/oil/herb mixture. Return to the oven and continue to cook until the turkey is golden brown and done. The temperature should register 160*F/71*C.
7. Remove from the oven, tent with foil and leave to rest for about 10 minutes. The temperature should rise to 165*F/75*C.
8. Carve the turkey from the bone in one piece. Slice against the grain of the meat with a sharp knife into 1/2 inch thick slices to serve. Leave the skin on when serving.

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