Boudin-Stuffed Turkey Breast With Lemon-Garlic Butter

Active Time:

55 mins

Total Time:

2 hrs 45 mins

Servings:

You've brined turkey and fried it; you've made the classic roast and even tried barbecuing it. Now you're bored with this bird, but Thanksgiving is quickly approaching.

Chef Kevin Belton, New Orleans chef, TV host, and cookbook author has a flavor-packed solution with his boudin-stuffed turkey breast. Even if you're an avowed dark meat person, this juicy and tender turkey breast might have you switching teams.

Kevin's Boudin (pronounced BOO-DAN) is what truly makes this roulade special. For the unfamiliar, boudin is a cooked sausage made from pork, rice, various vegetables, and typically Creole seasonings. It's what helps keep a lean cut like turkey breast moist and also adds deep savory notes to an otherwise fairly plain protein.

A generous basting of lemon-garlic butter, followed by lots of his custom spice blend, makes for a shatteringly crispy skin with tons of flavor. It isn't a whole bird, but for a smaller family gathering, this rolled turkey breast is just as stunning once sliced and its beautiful spirals are revealed.

Ingredients

Lemon-Garlic Butter

.25 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
5 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp.)
½ Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
0 ½ Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme

Spice Blend

1 Tbsp. Creole seasoning
1 tsp. sweet or smoked paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. chili powder
2 Tbsp. olive oil

Turkey

1 cup Kevin's Boudin or store-bought boudin (such as Zummo Meat Co.), casing removed
1 cup chicken stock, plus about 1/4 cup more if using store-bought boudin
1 (3-lb.) boneless, skin-on-turkey breast roast, thawed
1 medium-size sweet onion, quartered
2 medium celery stalks
3 garlic cloves, cut in half lengthwise
4 (4-inch) thyme sprigs

Directions

Prepare the Lemon-Garlic Butter: Whisk together butter, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, and thyme in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Prepare the Spice Blend: Stir together Creole seasoning, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, oregano, salt, and chili powder in a small bowl; add olive oil, stirring until well combined. Set aside.
Prepare the Turkey: Preheat oven to 425°F. Place Kevin's Boudin in a small bowl, and set aside. (If using store-bought boudin, add about 1/4 cup chicken stock, 2 tablespoons at a time, to moisten. Stir until mixture is moist and holds together when squeezed.)
Pat turkey dry using paper towels. (If turkey is encased in netting, remove and discard.)
Place turkey, skin side down, on a clean cutting board; unroll to flatten. Holding the blade of a chef's knife parallel to cutting board, slice into thickest portion of breast, cutting along the length but not all the way through. Unfold so breast opens like a book. Place a piece of plastic wrap on top, and pound using a meat mallet or heavy skillet until turkey is about ¾ inch thick and is even in thickness.
Remove plastic wrap. Spoon boudin into center of breast to create a log shape; roll 1 end of the breast over to encase boudin and meet the other end of breast. Using kitchen twine, tie rolled stuffed breast at 1- to 1 ½-inch intervals to secure.
Place onion, celery, garlic, and thyme sprigs in a small roasting pan. Place rolled breast, skin side up, on top of vegetables.
Slowly spoon or pour Lemon-Garlic Butter over turkey, using your hands to massage it all around and under twine. Slather Spice Blend over outside of turkey. (If desired, cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Remove from refrigerator 1 hour before cooking.)
Pour 1 cup stock into pan. Place in preheated oven; reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Bake, uncovered, until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of the breast registers 155°F, 1 hour, 30 minutes to 1 hour, 45 minutes. (For crispier skin, baste every 30 minutes.) If it starts to brown too quickly, loosely tent a piece of aluminum foil over turkey, and continue to bake.
Let rest 20 to 30 minutes. The temperature will continue to rise to 165°F. Carve and serve.

Boudin-Stuffed Turkey Breast With Lemon-Garlic Butter

Ingredients

Directions

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