Flipping the Bird (or Not)

Are you sick of turkey yet?

I’m not. I didn’t cook a thing for Thanksgiving this year, nor did I have any leftovers to contend with for the following week.

Don’t get me wrong, I had a fabulous holiday. Instead of the traditional dinner at a family member’s house, we traveled to Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia and enjoyed our classic meal in a more rustic and quite memorable setting. Good food, good company, good times.

And, yet, I’m feeling somewhat deprived. By this time of year I’ve typically spent hours in the kitchen doing holiday cooking of some sort or another, but travel and other distractions have kept me largely out of the kitchen. So it’s time to take matters into my own hands, get caught up with my cooking and make myself some leftovers.

Roasting a turkey is, as you may know, a ritual that is not without its challenges. Getting the dark meat cooked through without drying out the breast can be tricky. Many articles I’ve read suggest starting the turkey breast-side down, then flipping it partway through the cooking process so the bird cooks evenly. I’ve had good results cooking my turkey in a cooking bag, using a Nesco roaster, and using a roasting plan plus foil. I also had a horrible first attempt at brining a turkey (though I haven’t given up on the idea). But my favorite way to do it is to roast a whole turkey breast—with bones and skin—and not mess with the rest. My family doesn’t like the dark meat anyway, so why bother?

You don’t even have to flip the bird with this recipe, because the moisture from the olive oil and onions keep the meat from getting dry.

This roast turkey breast is awesome for dinner but also works quite well sliced for sandwiches. And isn’t that the best way to eat turkey leftovers anyway?

One turkey breast, bone in, skin on (these are typically sold as a half breast)
One large onion (or two small onions), quartered
1 tbsp fresh or 1 tsp dried chopped sage
Two whole cloves garlic
One rib celery, cut into large chunks
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper, ground
2 tbsp olive oil

Heat oven to 350 F. Wash the turkey and pat dry. Set onto roasting rack.
Place all remaining ingredients except olive oil into a food processor and chop thoroughly. Add the olive oil while the processor is running and pulverize mix until it is a chunky, soupy paste.

Wash hands well (use gloves if desired). Work your fingers gently under the skin of the turkey to separate it and create a pocket between the skin and the meat. Spread the onion mixture throughout the pocket, covering all areas of the meat. If there are any areas where the meat is not covered by skin, cover it with the onion mixture as well.

Place turkey into the oven and roast until the skin reaches the color you prefer. Then cover it with foil and cook until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 175 degrees F. As a rule of thumb, plan for 25-30 minutes of roasting per pound of turkey.

Remove the turkey from the oven and allow to rest at least 10 minutes before carving.

Happy leftovers!