Tacchino Ripieno

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Stuffed turkey breasts - a great alternative to your routine Thanksgiving Day bird preparation.

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  • 8

Ingredients

  • 1 (5 to 6 pound) whole turkey breast, removed from the bone, halved and butterflied
  • Salt and pepper
  • 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil plus 1/4 cup
  • 1/2 pound pancetta, cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground pork shoulder
  • 10 prunes, pitted and quartered
  • 12 chestnuts, roasted, peeled and halved
  • 2 cups fresh bread crumbs
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 heavy grating fresh nutmeg
  • 1 tbsp each chopped fresh rosemary and sage
  • 3 cups dry white

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a 12 to 14-inch saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat until smoking. Add the pancetta pieces and cook until golden brown, about 7 to 9 minutes. Add the ground pork and cook until starting to brown in its own fat, stirring regularly. Drain all but 4 tablespoons of the fat from the pan, then add the prunes and chestnuts, and continue cooking for 8 minutes, until the prunes start to really soften. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.

Add the bread crumbs, cheese, eggs, pepper, nutmeg, and herbs and just bring together, stirring with your hand. Do not over mix.

Place the 2 turkey pieces on a cutting board and pound flat and even. Divide the stuffing between them and roll each like a jelly roll and tie firmly with butchers twine. Place the 2 breasts, skin side up, on a roasting rack in a roasting pan and pour 2 cups wine over them. Season with salt and pepper, and place into preheated oven and cook uncovered until dark golden brown outside and a meat thermometer reads 165 at the thickest part of the breast, about 1 hour, plus or minus 10 minutes.

Remove and allow to rest 15 minutes before carving. Add remaining 1 cup of wine to the roasting pan and deglaze, scraping with a wooden spoon. Add the 1/4 cup remaining oil and season with salt and pepper. Carve turkey into 1-inch slices and serve with pan sauce.

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