Serves 6
Though not a traditional meaty pot roast, this method of cooking a boned, rolled turkey breast gives you tender meat with lots of juices, something that's surprisingly difficult to do with dry roasting. Where dry roasting instructs you to put a turkey breast in a roasting pan with some herbs or vegetables, pot roasting is in a high-sided pan with many vegetables and liquid. When you cook meat this way, you're typically starting with a tough cut so the pan is always covered to help tenderize the meat. With a turkey breast, which has tender flesh, you leave the pan uncovered and the high sides of a Dutch oven protect it during a 2-hour stay in the oven. Surround the breast with plenty of carrots, red onion, and a thinly sliced lemon. Lemon is the surprise here. The rind softens so you hardly recognize it, but then you get a taste of familiar citrus, a little tart, and just right with the sweet carrots and onions. When the breast is cooked, let it sit in a warm place for 10 minutes before carving. The juices in the pot are deeply aromatic, a little rosemary sprinkled on the meat is pleasantly herby, and everything you need for dinner is in one pot.
| 1 | boned, rolled turkey breast (3 to 3 1/2 pounds) |
| Olive oil (for sprinkling) | |
| Salt and pepper, to taste | |
| 2 | tablespoons olive oil |
| 5 | slender carrots, cut into 2-inch lengths, thick ends halved lengthwise |
| 1 | large red onion, quartered and thickly sliced |
| 1 | clove garlic |
| 1 | lemon, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced |
| 3 | tablespoons freshly chopped rosemary |
| 1 | cup chicken stock, or more if needed |
1. Set the oven at 375 degrees. Have on hand a large flameproof casserole or Dutch oven that will hold the turkey breast with space around it for all the vegetables.
2. Leave the netting on the breast. Rub it all over with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. In the casserole or Dutch oven over medium heat, heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the breast, skin side down, and brown it for 5 minutes, or until it pulls away easily from the bottom of the pan (don’t tug it or the skin will fall off). Keep turning, letting each side cook for about 3 minutes, or until it's lightly browned all over. Remove the breast from the pan.
4. Add the carrots, onion, garlic, lemon, and 1 tablespoon of the rosemary with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, for 8 minutes.
5. Push the vegetables to the edges of the pan. Set the turkey breast, skin side up, in the middle. Sprinkle the top with 1 tablespoon of the rosemary. Pour the chicken stock in at the edges. It should almost cover the vegetables. Add more, if necessary.
6. Do not cover. Transfer the pan to the oven. Cook the turkey beast, uncovered, for 2 hours, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the turkey registers 165 degrees. Check the pan several times during cooking. Add more stock or water to the vegetables if they're starting to stick to the bottom of the pan.
7. Remove the breast from the pan and set it on a cutting board in a warm place. Cover loosely with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, loosen the vegetable mixture with a little more stock or water. Bring it to a boil.
9. Cut off and discard the netting from the breast. Cut it into thick slices. Arrange the vegetables around a large platter and set the turkey slices in the middle. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon rosemary.
Sheryl Julian
Serves 6
Though not a traditional meaty pot roast, this method of cooking a boned, rolled turkey breast gives you tender meat with lots of juices, something that's surprisingly difficult to do with dry roasting. Where dry roasting instructs you to put a turkey breast in a roasting pan with some herbs or vegetables, pot roasting is in a high-sided pan with many vegetables and liquid. When you cook meat this way, you're typically starting with a tough cut so the pan is always covered to help tenderize the meat. With a turkey breast, which has tender flesh, you leave the pan uncovered and the high sides of a Dutch oven protect it during a 2-hour stay in the oven. Surround the breast with plenty of carrots, red onion, and a thinly sliced lemon. Lemon is the surprise here. The rind softens so you hardly recognize it, but then you get a taste of familiar citrus, a little tart, and just right with the sweet carrots and onions. When the breast is cooked, let it sit in a warm place for 10 minutes before carving. The juices in the pot are deeply aromatic, a little rosemary sprinkled on the meat is pleasantly herby, and everything you need for dinner is in one pot.
| 1 | boned, rolled turkey breast (3 to 3 1/2 pounds) |
| Olive oil (for sprinkling) | |
| Salt and pepper, to taste | |
| 2 | tablespoons olive oil |
| 5 | slender carrots, cut into 2-inch lengths, thick ends halved lengthwise |
| 1 | large red onion, quartered and thickly sliced |
| 1 | clove garlic |
| 1 | lemon, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced |
| 3 | tablespoons freshly chopped rosemary |
| 1 | cup chicken stock, or more if needed |
1. Set the oven at 375 degrees. Have on hand a large flameproof casserole or Dutch oven that will hold the turkey breast with space around it for all the vegetables.
2. Leave the netting on the breast. Rub it all over with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. In the casserole or Dutch oven over medium heat, heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the breast, skin side down, and brown it for 5 minutes, or until it pulls away easily from the bottom of the pan (don’t tug it or the skin will fall off). Keep turning, letting each side cook for about 3 minutes, or until it's lightly browned all over. Remove the breast from the pan.
4. Add the carrots, onion, garlic, lemon, and 1 tablespoon of the rosemary with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, for 8 minutes.
5. Push the vegetables to the edges of the pan. Set the turkey breast, skin side up, in the middle. Sprinkle the top with 1 tablespoon of the rosemary. Pour the chicken stock in at the edges. It should almost cover the vegetables. Add more, if necessary.
6. Do not cover. Transfer the pan to the oven. Cook the turkey beast, uncovered, for 2 hours, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the turkey registers 165 degrees. Check the pan several times during cooking. Add more stock or water to the vegetables if they're starting to stick to the bottom of the pan.
7. Remove the breast from the pan and set it on a cutting board in a warm place. Cover loosely with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, loosen the vegetable mixture with a little more stock or water. Bring it to a boil.
9. Cut off and discard the netting from the breast. Cut it into thick slices. Arrange the vegetables around a large platter and set the turkey slices in the middle. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon rosemary.
Sheryl Julian can be reached at sheryl.julian@globe.com.