Introduction: HERB ROASTED BREAST OF TURKEY BASTED WITH MARSALA WINE

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About: I am a 82-year-old self-proclaimed Chef who has spent most of his life in the hotel/resort tourism industry. I have traveled up and down the east coast of the United States from New York to Key West, and from …

Although it's a bit earlier to have Thanksgiving Dinner, it has been a long time since I enjoyed a slice (or 2, or 3) of my Herb Roasted Turkey that has been basted in a fine dry Marsala Wine.

Step 1: INGREDIENTS

The ingredients are simple enough; all you need is one bone-in, skin on, 1/2 Breast of Turkey (this one weighed just over 3 pounds), and the items listed below:

1 TBS Extra Light Olive Oil (you can substitute butter or any good cooking oil)

1/2 cup of fine, dry, Marsala Wine (I really like Italy's Florio)

1 teaspoon each of the below dried herbs and spices:

Thyme

Crushed Rosemary

Sage

Garlic Powder (I like roasted garlic powder for this recipe)

Sea Salt

Coarse Ground Black Pepper

Step 2: PREPARATION

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
  2. Blend the herbs and spices in a small bowl with the 1 TBS of Oil
  3. Rub the mixture all over and under the skin of the turkey breast
  4. Pull the skin down and around the bottom and sides of the breast, covering as much of the exposed meat as possible; then "pin" the skin down with toothpicks
  5. Place the seasoned Turkey Breast in the preheated oven on a rack in a roasting pan

Step 3: ROASTING THE TURKEY BREAST

  1. Roast the Turkey Breast for about 60 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit
  2. After the Turkey Breast has been in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, baste it with some of the Marsala Wine (we begin with 1/2 cup of wine, and I use about a 3rd of that now)
  3. Check the Turkey Breast after it has been in the oven for another 20 minutes (40 minutes total); check the internal temperature with a digital thermometer and baste with another 3rd of the Marsala Wine.
  4. Check the Turkey Breast again after about 10 minutes more; if the skin has a nice "Mahogany" color, tent it with aluminum foil to keep the skin from burning.
  5. Continue to Roast, tented for an additional 10 minutes (60 minutes total time), monitoring the internal temperature and basting one more time with the remaining wine (you can also spoon some of the drippings from the bottom of the pan over the roasting breast).
  6. As soon as the Turkey Breast reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, remove it from oven and let it rest in the baking pan for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing and serving

NOTE: If the internal temperature of the Turkey Breast reaches 165 degrees F before the final basting, remove it from the oven immediately, then baste it with the remaining wine and drippings from the bottom of the pan; then follow the instructions in step 6 above.

Step 4: TIME TO EAT . . .

While the Breast of Turkey was roasting, I prepared and baked an Herbed Wild Rice & Quinoa Stuffing using a recipe from KITCHEN TREATY (http://www.kitchentreaty.com).

Although I did not have time to cook a vegetable or make a salad, the Stuffing was full of nutrients since it contains celery, onions, apples, pecans, and cranberries in addition to Quinoa and a blend of brown and wild rice. Absolutely delicious.

As you can see, I enjoyed my dinner with slices of turkey breast, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and a glass of white wine.

Bon appétit

NOTE: About 10 to 15% of a Turkey Breast is bone. This 3.14 lb 1/2 breast provided about 3 1/3 servings of meat.

NUTRITION:

Based on the ingredients I used, it appears that each serving of meat contains about 446 Calories, but only about 3 carbs. I estimated that the Wild Rice & Quinoa Stuffing contains roughly 188 calories and 33 carbs per serving.