A plump and super juicy turkey breast, brined in oranges and pink peppercorns, then rubbed down with a compound butter for the perfect anchor of a sumptuous meal.
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 6 | 1 hour, total |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 90 minutes, approx. | 16 - 24 hours |
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A plump and super juicy turkey breast, brined in oranges and pink peppercorns, then rubbed down with a compound butter for the perfect anchor of a sumptuous meal.
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Ingredients
- 1 6-pound turkey breast whole, bone-in and skin-on
- 1 orange sliced
- 2 tablespoons pink peppercorns lightly crushed
- 1 tablespoon coriander seed lightly crushed
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
- 1/2 t-spoon chili flakes
- 4 dried bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced rosemary
- 2 cloves garlic smashed
- 1 gallon water (or 4 quarts)
- 6 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1/4 cup honey
For the butter:
- 6 tablespoons butter softened at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pink peppercorns ground
- 1 t-spoon fresh minced rosemary
- 1 t-spoon kosher salt
For roasting:
For the gravy:
- 3 cups turkey stock
- 6 tablespoons flour
- 3 - 4 tablespoons pan drippings from turkey pan
Servings:
Instructions
- Add the peppercorns, coriander seed, pepper flakes, and bay leaves to a small sauté pan and toast over low heat for a few moments until lightly fragrant.
- Dump the toasted spices, orange slices, rosemary, garlic, water, salt, and honey into a stockpot large enough to fit everything and the breast to stay submerged—about 8 quarts. Stir everything together until the salt dissolves and the honey melts into the water. Lower in the turkey breast, cover, and let it brine in the fridge for 8 – 12 hours.
- Remove the turkey from the brine, and place on a wire wrack set over a baking sheet. Pat it dry and then stash in the fridge, uncovered, for another 8 – 12 hours to dry the skin out for optimal crispness.
- Fold all of the ingredients for the butter together until combined. Preheat the oven to 325°
- Remove the turkey from the fridge and let it come to room temperature on the counter for 2 hours. Slather the underside of the breast, particularly the rib area, with some of the butter. Slather more under the skin, and more still on the skin itself.
- Set the turkey on a wire wrack in a roasting tray and pour the wine or stock in the bottom of the pan. You could chuck some orange scraps and peppercorns you have lying around in there if you want. Probe it with a digital probe thermometer (one where the digital temperature/time gauge sits outside of the oven) and pop it into the oven. Set the thermometer to go off at 135°.
- Roast the bird for about 1 hour (somewhere between 45 minutes and 1 hour 15 minutes)—until the thermometer reads 135°—basting every 20 minutes. Increase the heat to 400° and roast another 15 – 20 minutes, until the skin browns and crisps and the turkey gets up to 155°.
- Remove the turkey from the oven and loosely tent with aluminum foil—where it will carry-over cook to 165°—but not before removing a little of the liquid in the bottom of the pan for gravy making.
To make the gravy:
- Bring the stock to a rolling boil prior to the turkey coming out of the oven. Once it comes to a boil just clamp on a lid and put it over the lowest heat possible to keep warm, so it comes back to a boil quickly.
- Using a turkey baster, suck up some of the pan drippings and squeeze them through a fine mesh sieve set over a liquid measuring cup until you have about 3 – 4 tablespoons. Whisk these drippings into the flour until totally smooth and thick, but still somewhat pourable—think natural peanut butter.
- Return the stock to a boil and slowly pour the flour mixture into the stock while you whisk the liquid vigorously. Let it boil for 2 – 3 minutes, stirring occasionally so nothing sticks, before reducing the heat to low and simmering about 5 – 7 minutes, until thickened.
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