turkey wellington

turkey wellington with gravy


1 batch of quick puff pastry (but add 2 tbsp of fresh sage, chopped finely, to the butter first)
5 lb bone-in turkey breast
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
olive oil
1 large bunch fresh thyme, leaves picked
15 oz whole berry cranberry jam
16 oz mushrooms
3 sprigs fresh rosemary

1 cup italian style breadcrumbs
1 carrot , roughly chopped
1 leek , trimmed and roughly chopped
1 onion , peeled and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon butter
1 egg, beaten

cooking twine


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Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F

Separate the breast from the turkey carcass, remove the skin. 

Place the turkey breasts between 2 pieces of cling wrap, use a meat tenderizer to make both breast approximately the same thickness uniformly. 

Cut the twine into 6 12in strips, place horizontally on cutting board, about an inch apart. 

Carefully place the turkey breasts over the twine, overlapping each other. 

Sprinkle about half of the fresh thyme over the breasts, plus salt and pepper.

Place 3-4 tablespoons of cranberry jam longwise in the middle of the turkey breasts.

Use the twine to help roll the breasts up with the cranberry inside, tie each piece of twine tightly. 

Transfer the turkey to a roasting tray, season the outside with the remaining thyme leaves, a good pinch of salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Rub it all over, cover in tin foil and roast in the hot oven for 60 to 70 minutes, or until just cooked through – using a thermometer, you want it to be 162 F at the thickest point.

To make the gravy, add to a large pot the turkey carcass, carrot, leek, onion, salt and pepper, the flour, and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, add 1 rosemary sprig, a heaped spoon of the cranberry jam, and the balsamic vinegar. Bring back to a boil, then then reduce and let simmer for 2 hours or until thick. Strain it through a sieve and reheat before serving.

Meanwhile, sauté the mushrooms in some oil until they are almost dry. Strip the leave from 2 rosemary sprigs, chop, and add to the mushrooms for the last 30 seconds or so. 

Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the mushrooms, when that is melted, add the breadcrumbs. Toss to coat,  finely chop the mushrooms (or use a food processor for a few pulses), set aside to cool. 

Once the turkey breast and stuffing have cooled, assemble the Wellington.

Dust a clean surface with flour, then roll out the puff pastry to about 20 in x 20 in. Cut in half. 

Line a cooking sheet with silicon or parchment paper. Place one half of the pastry on the sheet. 

Spread half of the mushroom stuffing onto the middle of the base to cover an area the same size as your turkey breast. 

Remove the twine, then place the turkey breast on top and spread the remaining stuffing over the top packing it all in and smoothing it out so that the whole breast is covered. 

Brush the edges of the pastry with beaten egg. 

Lay the second sheet of pastry over the top, gently mold it round the shape of the breast, pushing all the air out and seal together. Trim the edges to around 4cm, then pull, twist, tuck and pinch in the pastry. If you have extra pastry and want to be creative, you can add decorative design at this point. 

Brush the whole thing with beaten egg.

Leave it uncovered in the fridge overnight until ready to bake.  

On the day of, bake at 350°F 50 to 60 minutes, or until risen, puffy and beautifully golden and the turkey is piping hot throughout. 

Remove from the oven and leave to cool for around 10 minutes before carving. 

Serve with the gravy and extra cranberry jam.