Herb-Orange Turkey Breast with Roasted Pear Gravy
Makes 24 to 26 servings (24 to 26 (4 oz) servings of turkey)
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins to 1 hr 45 mins
For the turkey:
4 tsp kosher salt, divided
2 (3 to 4 pound) bone-in skin-on* turkey breast halves (see note)
8 medium garlic cloves, quartered
Zest from 2 oranges
1/4 cup fresh thyme leaves, divided
20 fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced, divided
4 tsp olive oil, divided
1 cup fat free low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth or water
5 medium ripe pears, halved and pitted
2 medium yellow onions, quartered
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp orange juice
Roasted Pear Gravy, for serving (recipe follows)
For the turkey:
Heat oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Remove skin from turkey if it has not yet been removed (see note below for tips) then pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle half (2 teaspoons) of kosher salt all over two turkey breast halves.
Place garlic, orange zest, half of the thyme, half of the sage, and a few cranks of freshly ground black pepper on a cutting board and sprinkle remaining kosher 2 teaspoons of the salt on top. Chop until mixture is a rough paste (it should resemble cornmeal). Drizzle turkeys all over with half (2 teaspoons) of the oil, rub with the paste, and let sit at room temperature while the oven heats up, about 30 minutes.
Arrange turkey breast side up in a roasting pan fitted with a rack and pour broth in the bottom of the roasting pan. Toss onions and pears with remaining 2 teaspoons of oil, season with a pinch kosher salt and pepper, and arrange in bottom of the roasting pan. Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil and roast until internal temperature of turkey reaches 140°F, about 1 hour 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, place honey and orange juice in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat as soon as it boils and set aside.
Remove foil, raise oven to 400°F and brush turkey liberally with the honey glaze. Roast until glaze is golden and turkey is 160°F to 165°F, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove turkey from oven, sprinkle with remaining fresh thyme and sage, a pinch of kosher salt, and let turkey rest at least 10 minutes before carving. Reserve pears and onions for the gravy (recipe follows).
*Note: Bone-in turkey breasts are less common (you may have to special order them) than boneless but they are worth seeking out because they have a nicer presentation and the bone lends more flavor to the final dish and helps protect against overcooking the meat. They are usually sold with the skin on, so use a paper towel to pull of the skin and discard before roasting. If you can’t find bone-in turkey breasts, you can use boneless, skinless but look for one that doesn’t have added brine or water solution as they’ll be loaded with salt.
Nutritional information for the (per serving):
Calories 200
Fat calories 25
Total fat grams; 3
Sat fat grams, 0
Cholesterol mg 60
Sodium mg 300
Total carbohydrates g 10
Fiber g 1
Sugars g 7
Protein g 38
Vitamin A IUs %; 0
Vitamin C % 6
Calcium % 0
Iron % 10
Roasted Pear Gravy
Makes 3 cups (24 (1/8 cup) servings)
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
2 ripe medium pears, roasted or steamed until fork tender
1 medium yellow onion, roasted or steamed until fork tender
2 medium celery stalks, diced 4oz, about 1 cup small dice
8 medium fresh sage leaves
Leaves of 5 sprigs fresh thyme
1 medium dried bay leaf
2 cups low-sodium fat free chicken broth
2 tbsp white whole wheat flour
1 tsp cider vinegar (optional)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Reserve two pears (four pear halves) and all the onion from the turkey roasting pan and place in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process until smooth, about 2 minutes then set aside.
Remove the turkey from roasting pan and set aside to rest. Place the roasting pan over two burners over high heat. (Alternatively, pour all the roasting pan juices in a large frying pan.) Add celery and herbs and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. When the pan juices begin to sizzle, slowly pour in half of the broth and cook, scraping up any browned bits with a flat spatula.
Pour juices into a medium saucepan, whisk in pear puree, remaining broth and flour, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer, whisking constantly, until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes.
Taste the gravy; if it is exceptionally sweet, add the vinegar. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then strain through a fine mesh strainer. Push on the back of the strainer to remove all the liquid, discard the solids, and serve with the turkey.
Nutritional information(per serving):
Calories 15
Fat calories 0
Total fat grams; 0
Sat fat grams, 0
Cholesterol mg 0
Sodium mg 90
Total carbohydrates g 3
Fiber g 1
Sugars g 2
Protein g 0
Vitamin A IUs %; 0
Vitamin C % 2
Calcium % 0
Iron % 0
