Turkey Roulade with Wild Rice Filling Recipe and *VIDEO*
Truth be told, I have every intention of making 2 whole traditional roasted turkeys for Thanksgiving this year. I am never seduced by the mole- or miso-basted turkeys because then I have to revolve the whole menu around them. And I always have too many guests (and too many dark meat easters) to consider something like a turkey roulade which is what I am sharing here today.
I think if you are hosting 8 people or you want something a little different than a whole turkey, this roulade is just the thing. I serve this often at dinner parties in the fall and winter and it’s always a hit. Make the butcher do the hard work by butterflying the turkey breast for you. Then take it home and stuff it with whatever you like (I recommend this cranberry-pecan rice pilaf) and roll it up. Actually, there’s a local butcher in my town called Manhattan Meats that will stuff and tie the turkey for you if you bring them your filling. It’s a pretty straightforward recipe and theres on brining or basting or carving. Easy!
You can actually roll and tie the turkey in the morning and roast it that evening if that makes your life easier. Just don’t put hot rice into the turkey and then put it rolled up in the fridge. I have two words for that: bacteria proliferation. Make the pilaf and let it cool, then stuff your turkey and refrigerate it. If you are going to roast it immediately after you stuff it, you can add the rice hot.
Feel free to leave any questions for me in the comment section below and I will get right back to you. In the meantime, please watch the video where I demonstrate how to put all of this together!
- One 5-pound fresh, whole turkey breast with skin; have your butcher remove the bones (save them for stock) and butterfly the breast, leaving it whole
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter + 2 Tablespoons, melted or use olive oil
- 2 cups diced onions
- 2 stalks diced celery
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 2 cups wild rice blend, such as Lundberg or Whole Foods
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- freshly ground pepper to taste
- 4 ¼ cups chicken or turkey stock, preferably homemade, DIVIDED
- ⅔ cup chopped pecans, toasted
- ½ cup dried cranberries (optional)
- When you get the turkey home from the market, lay the breast skin side down and if one end is significantly thicker than the other, place it between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound it to the same thickness. Season the breast with a sprinkling of sea salt. Rewrap and refrigerate it until you are ready to prepare it.
- One hour before roasting, remove turkey from refrigerator and leave on countertop.
- To make the filling, melt 4 Tablespoons butter (or oil) in a heavy medium saucepan. Add onions, and celery and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and sauté another 2 minutes.
- Add the herbs and sauté a few minutes more.
- Add the rice, salt, pepper and 3 ¾ cups stock. Bring to a boil, cover, lower to a simmer and cook according to the package instructions. When rice is tender and liquid absorbed, turn heat off and fold in pecans and (optional) cranberries. Let sit covered for 10 minutes (longer is fine, too.)
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Place the turkey breast skin side down on a cutting board or countertop. Season with salt if you haven’t already done so, and some black pepper. Spoon half the filling lengthwise over the turkey breast up to one half inch from the edges. Roll the turkey breast and tie string around the roll in three places. Transfer remaining filling to a small ovenproof casserole and set aside.
- Brush the turkey with 2 Tablespoons melted butter or olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Place directly in a roasting pan or on a rack within a pan. Roast uncovered, for 1 hour. Add ½ cup stock to pan, cover breast with parchment, then foil, and roast one more hour. Bake the remaining rice in a casserole during the last 30 minutes of the turkey’s roasting time.
- Remove from the oven, put turkey roll on a platter or cutting board and let rest covered for 20-30 minutes. Remove string and cut turkey into ¼-inch slices. To serve, spoon the rice from the casserole onto a serving platter. Arrange turkey slices on top. Drizzle with the pan juices.
You can use white wine in Step 8 instead of stock. Or use ¼ cup wine and ¼ cup stock.
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