SUPERBLY HERBY TURKEY BREAST WITH APPLE CIDER GRAVY

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Chicken|Gluten-free|Superbly Herby

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Ingredients

The Brine:

2 cups water

2 cups apple cider

½ cup orange juice

½ cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup salt

2 teaspoons whole peppercorns

1 sprig of rosemary, rough chopped

5 sprigs thyme

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1, 5-7 pound fresh turkey breast

The Turkey:

5 tablespoons butter, softened

1 tablespoon Dish off the Block Superbly Herby Spice Blend

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, stemmed and chopped

1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 large onion, chopped into large pieces

1 ½ cups apple cider*

3 cups carrots, cut into 3” pieces

The Gravy:

¼ cup flour (cornstarch for gluten-free)

1 ½ cups water

Instructions

Combine all of the brine ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar and salt are completely dissolved. Let cool completely.

Put the turkey breast in a large bowl or pan (just a little bigger and taller than they turkey breast) and pour the cold brine over the turkey. Brine should completely cover the turkey breast. If the turkey is not fully immersed, add more cold water to cover. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator. Let brine for 24-48 hours.

When ready to cook, remove the turkey from the brine and completely rinse the turkey breast in the sink with cold water. Dry completely with paper towels and place in a roasting pan or large baking dish, meaty side up.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Cream the butter, Superbly Herby, rosemary, and sage together in a small bowl. Rub the butter and herb mixture all over the turkey breast. Gently separate the skin from the breast meat and push some of the compound butter under the skin and then push the top of the skin to spread it to cover the breast meat. Pull the skin back into place to cover the meat if it is displaced so the meat doesn’t dry out in the oven. Season the breast all over with the salt. Spread the chopped onions all around the turkey breast in the pan.

Bake the breast at 425 for 15 minutes and reduce the temperature to 375 degrees. Pour the apple cider into the pan and bake for 30 more minutes. Add the carrots to the pan all around the turkey. Bake for an additional 45 minutes to 1 hour until the temperature in the thickest part of the breast reaches 160 degrees (about 20 minutes total per pound depending the size of your breast).

Remove the turkey from the oven and place on a cutting board and cover with foil. Rest for 20-30 minutes while you make the gravy.

Remove your carrots, which should be fork tender, from the pan and keep warm until ready to serve. If you used a metal roasting pan, you can make your gravy in the same pan on the stove top, but if your pan is not metal, transfer the drippings, including the onions to a large saucepan.

Combine the flour and water in a large jar and shake until the flour is dissolved. Bring your pan juices to a low boil and gradually add the slurry (flour and water mixture), whisking constantly until a thick gravy forms. Add more water if gravy is too thick or more slurry if too thin (this will depend on how many drippings your turkey makes). Test for seasoning and add salt and peper if needed.

Cut the entire breast off one side of the turkey and then cut thick slices against the grain to serve. Serve with mashed potatoes, corn, and the carrots and drizzle with loads of yummy gravy.

*Note – if you don’t want a sweet gravy you can use water or chicken stock in the pan instead of apple cider