i love roasting. whole chickens, pot roasts, stews (expect for the crappy beef and butternut one i made a few weeks ago), vegetables, etc. the smell of something roasting in the oven just makes the house smell incredible. as soon as the weather turned, i turned to this recipe. a boneless, skin on, turkey breast with fresh herbs. i also made an apple cider pan gravy to go along with it. it's super easy to put together because you use a food processor to do all the chopping for you. start by adding one small white onion in the processor. once that is chopped fine, add a big handful of parsley, 12 sprigs of fresh sage, the zest of one lemon, salt and pepper. process again. then slowly add about 1/4 cup of olive oil to incorporate. gently pull back the skin on the turkey breast and smear the herb mixture under and all around the breast. drizzle a little olive oil, salt and pepper on top of the skin and rub all over. have your oven pre-heated to 450 degrees. in a roasting pan add two fresh bay leaves and lay the turkey breast, skin side up on top of the bay leaves. put the pan in the oven and immediately turn the oven down to 400 degrees. roast for 20 minutes, then drizzle a bit more oil over top. continue roasting for an additional 20-25 minutes or until a thermometer reaches 170 degrees in the thickest part of the breast. remove the turkey to a platter to rest while you make the gravy. using the same roasting pan, set it over the burners at a medium heat. add 2 tablespoons of flour. whisk to combine. add 1/4 cup of brandy, and continue to stir for 2 minutes. next add 2 cups of apple cider and allow to thicken. season with salt and pepper, and serve alongside the turkey breast. i served acorn squash and brussels sprouts with the meal. very tasty. and ya know, thanksgiving is right around the corner. so, if it you don't want to be bothered with a whole bird, please do yourself a favor and at least make this. it's thanksgiving after all.
