Chestnut & Apricot-Stuffed Turkey Breast
Chestnut & Apricot-Stuffed Turkey Breast
Chestnut & Apricot-Stuffed Turkey Breast
Chestnut & Apricot-Stuffed Turkey Breast

Chestnut & Apricot-Stuffed Turkey Breast

David Venable

While turkey is a classic Christmas meal, this British version uses ingredients common in UK kitchens, like apricots and chestnuts. The roasting bird smells incredible!

Stuffing

  • 1 stick butter
  • 1 cup celery, finely diced
  • 1 cup onion, finely diced
  • 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
  • 1 cup chestnuts, roasted, peeled & halved
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp sage, chopped
  • 1 tsp thyme, chopped
  • 8 cups day-old French bread, cubed & toasted

To prepare the stuffing

Melt the butter in a large sauté pan. Add the celery and the onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the apricots, chestnuts, chicken stock, salt, pepper, sage, and thyme. Bring the mixture up to a simmer, and then remove the pan from the heat. Add the bread cubes and toss until the liquid has been fully absorbed. Place the stuffing on a baking sheet and refrigerate until it’s completely cooled.

Turkey

  • 1 (4–4.5 lb) boneless turkey breast
  • Salt & pepper, to taste

While the stuffing is cooling, prepare turkey breast

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Carefully remove the skin from the turkey breast in one piece and place it aside to be used later. Butterfly the breast open like a book using a small, very sharp knife, being careful not to cut all the way through. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the entire breast.
With a meat mallet, pound the breast into an even thickness of about 1/4", and then remove the plastic wrap.
Begin stuffing the turkey breast by spreading the bread mixture lengthwise down the middle of the breast. Roll the turkey around the stuffing and then roll the breast over, so the seam is on the bottom.
Stretch the reserved skin over the top of the breast, and then tie it in 6–8 sections with butcher’s twine around the middle.
Place the turkey in a roasting pan and season it with salt and pepper. Place it in the oven for about 1 hour and 45 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 155°F on a meat thermometer.
Let the turkey rest, then slice and serve.

Cook's Notes

If you don’t have a meat mallet for pounding the turkey breast, a rolling pin works well too!

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