Spiced Turkey Breast Food

SPICY TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Mix together the fennel seed, salt, oregano, onion powder and smoked paprika in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Mix together the cornbread and milk in a medium bowl. Allow the mixture to soak for 10 minutes. Stir in the sausage, Pecorino and chili paste. Use your hands to mix well.
• Lay the turkey breasts skin-sides down on a cutting board so that they are open like a book. Pat half the stuffing onto each skinless side, leaving a 1/2-inch border, then close each half so the skin sides are up. Tie each turkey breast tightly with 4 pieces of butcher's twine about 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart. Rub the seasoning mix all over the turkey.
• Lay the bread on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Place the turkey breasts skin-sides up on the bread and drizzle the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil over the tops. Roast 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 degrees F and continue to roast until the skin is brown and crisp and an instant-read thermometer reads 160 degrees F, about 40 minutes more. Allow the turkey to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

ROAST TURKEY BREAST WITH GRAVY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Rub the turkey all over with the butter, including the cavity of the breast. Season generously with salt and pepper. Scatter the vegetables on the bottom of a roasting pan just large enough to hold the turkey. Set the turkey breast-side up in the pan. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast registers 160 degrees F, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
• Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and tent loosely with foil for 30 minutes. (The breast temperature will continue to rise to 170 degrees F as it rests.)
• Pour any pan drippings into a fat separator or small bowl. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the fat; discard the rest or the fat. Add the pan juices to the broth. Add the reserved fat to the roasting pan and place on a burner over medium-high heat. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Whisk in the broth and continue to stir. Bring to a boil and cook until thickened, about 3 minutes. Strain the gravy, discarding the vegetables, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Carve the breast and serve with the gravy.

SPICED TURKEY BREAST WITH PERSIAN GOLDEN PRUNES

Steps:

• Pat dry the turkey breast. Gently separate the skin from the meat using your fingers. Set the turkey breast aside.
• Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, coriander, ground cinnamon and 1 teaspoon each of the cumin, paprika and turmeric in a small bowl. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Spoon this mixture all over the turkey breast, then spread under the skin with your fingers (you may want to wear gloves).
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Place the turkey breast skin-side down in the skillet and increase the heat to medium-high. Sear the turkey breast without disturbing until the skin is almost crispy and golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a pair of tongs, flip the turkey breast and sear the other side until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove the turkey breast to a plate and set it aside.
• Reduce the heat to medium. If the skillet seems dry, add about 1 tablespoon more vegetable oil. Add the garlic and onion and saute, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, remaining 1/2 teaspoon each cumin, paprika and turmeric and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir to combine. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant and darkened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes more. Add 2 cups water, the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods to the sauce, then reduce the heat to medium-low and bring the sauce to a low simmer.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a small pan over medium-low heat and saute the prunes until they're shiny and glazed on all sides, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the prunes to a bowl and heat the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to the same small pan. Turn the heat to medium-low, add the barberries and saute until they're shiny and glazed, about 4 minutes.
• Add the prunes, barberries and 1/4 cup of water to the tomato sauce in the large skillet and stir to combine, making sure the prunes are fully submerged in the sauce. Return the turkey to the skillet and roast in the oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (avoiding the bone) reads 165 degrees F, 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. Let the turkey sit for 10 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute before slicing and serving with the sauce, over rice if desired.

SPICY ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Mix the spices into the mayonnaise until thoroughly blended.
• Tuck back the wings and slather the spicy paste all over the turkey, massaging it into the bird.
• (Rub inside the bird, outside the bird and make sure to spread it under the breast skin).
• Roast on lowest rack of the oven at 500°F for 30 minutes.
• Remove the turkey from the oven and cover the breast with a double layer of heavy duty aluminum foil folded into a triangle (leaving the legs and dark meat uncovered), insert a thermometer into thickest part of the breast and return it to oven.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
• Roast until the turkey temperature reaches 161°F (14 to 16 pound bird only needs a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting).
• Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest, loosely covered for at least 15 minutes before carving.

JAMAICAN-SPICED TURKEY

Steps:

• Brine the turkey: Combine all the brine ingredients except the turkey in a large stock pot and add 1 gallon water. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and stir in another 1/2 gallon water; let cool to room temperature. Place turkey breast-side-down in a container large enough to hold it and the brine. Add brine and refrigerate 8 to 12 hours. Remove from refrigerator about an hour before cooking and bring to room temperature.
• Make the herb butter: Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 9 to 12 minutes, stirring often to prevent burning, until butter darkens to deep amber. Add thyme and scallions and remove from heat. (Butter may foam up; stir to keep it from foaming over.) Let steep for 10 to 15 minutes, then strain into a bowl, pressing out all the butter with a spatula. Allow butter to cool so it firms up, but is still a little soft and pliable. Stir butter while it cools to re-incorporate any bits that fall to the bottom.
• Make the spice rub: Combine all the rub ingredients in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Toast, stirring or shaking the pan occasionally, 2 to 4 minutes. Watch carefully to avoid burning. Let cool, then grind finely in a spice grinder or mortar.
• Roast the turkey: Heat oven to 475 degrees. Line a large roasting pan with the scallions, onions, celery, fennel, garlic and carrots and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour in stock.
• Remove turkey from brine and pat dry. Season cavity with about 1/2 tablespoon of the spice rub. Gently loosen the breast skin with your fingers as far down as you can go, being careful not to tear the skin. Spread almost all of the herb butter under the skin and smooth it out as evenly as possible by rubbing the skin. Rub remaining butter lightly over the rest of the turkey. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of the spice rub all over turkey.
• Place turkey in pan on top of vegetables. Tuck the wings under turkey, and tie legs together with kitchen twine.
• Roast turkey for 30 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees and loosely cover with foil. Cook turkey, basting with the liquid in the pan every 45 minutes, until the leg feels loose in the socket and a thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165 degrees. Start checking the temperature after about 2 hours. Depending on the size of your turkey, it may take up to 4 hours to cook through. Let sit 20 to 25 minutes before carving.