Last weekend I attended a memorial service for a really special person. He was very well loved and the testimonies given by many family members spoke of how he had enriched their lives. I didn’t know him as well as I would have liked, but I know that he was always smiling, telling clever jokes and raising the spirits of those around him.
I was deeply touched by the family’s efforts to honor him by sharing their memories and beautiful music. He was blessed to have the love of his family. One comment that resonated with me was when he was described as always thinking of and doing things for others. Even with the loss of memory, he still did things for others. It was his nature, not something he had to remember to do.
I walked away from the service with a feeling of peace, and a couple of thoughts. First, I wondered if someone could find about ten people to say nice things about me at my funeral. Second, perhaps I need to work harder at nurturing a more positive spirit. In time, it might be my nature to uplift others. It’s something for which to strive.
I’ll work on that while I cook Thanksgiving dinner. I’m having 12-16 people, so I’ll be using two turkey breasts.
Turkey Roulade
4 lbs. boneless, skinless turkey breasts
8 slices thick-cut bacon
2 lbs. mushrooms, finely chopped
2 c. scallions, chopped
2/3 c. fresh parsley, chopped
1/3 c. fresh sage, chopped
1/2 c. dry white wine
1/3 c. seasoned bread crumbs
2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Butterfly the turkey breasts by cutting them crosswise, but being careful to not cut all the way through. Open the breasts up, cover with plastic wrap and pound into rectangles about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Season with salt and pepper.
In a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove and let drain, reserving about 2 Tbsp. of the drippings. Saute mushrooms until lightly browned. Add scallions, parsley and sage, cooking until tender. Add the wine and cook until the liquid evaporates. Mix in the bread crumbs and crumbled bacon. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Spread the mixture onto the breasts. Tightly roll up each breast and secure with cooking twine. Rub the exterior with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.
Bake on racks over prepared baking sheets in a 425-degree oven until 165 degrees. It should take about 45 minutes. Let the roulades stand about 10 minutes before slicing.
I recommend brining the turkey breasts so they won’t dry out during cooking. I just boiled about 2 quarts of chicken broth with 1/2 c. salt, a sprig of rosemary and a thyme bundle until the salt is absorbed and the herbs are fragrant. In a large plastic container dumb two quarts of ice and the broth over the chicken breasts. Let the chicken brine in the refrigerator over night or at least 8 hours. Remove, rinse and pat dry before beginning the recipe.
Herbed Gravy
6 Tbsp. butter
1 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 c. flour
6 c. chicken stock
3/4 c. dry white wine
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh chives, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onions until golden brown. Add garlic and sprinkle in flour. Cook while stirring until the flour turns golden. Whisk in stock and wine. Add the herbs and continue to cook until a gravy is formed. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Serve the gravy over the roulade and garlic smashed potatoes.