Roast Turkey...it is one of the primary flavors of deep Fall and Winter.  For many countries around the
world it signifies the abundance of the Holiday table.  It is the centerpiece of Thanksgiving, and, as I
came to learn after I started dating my wife, it's probably the most popular of Christmas meals.  You
see, in our house, Thanksgiving was the day for the fully dressed turkey dinner.  All other holidays were
full of Italian overtones and different types of roasts.  I always thought when Mel Torme' would sing
about Turkey and mistletoe, something was screwed up.  It was..it was me.  Isn't Christmas Lasagne
and a big Roast beef or Roast Pork?? Apparently not.  We had Christmas Day dinner at our house
this year and when planning the menu which usually is entirely at my discretion, my wife (non-Italian)
asked if the main part of the meal be a traditional Christmas meal of her childhood...(read: Thanks-
giving Meal on Christmas Day).  So I front-ended the Italian foods as appetizers and the pasta
course (my sister did the manicotti) and the main meal was Roast turkey, stuffing, green beans,
mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and lots of gravy.  But with all the oven jockeying that goes on when
you cook for more than 4 I had no interest in monopolizing the oven with a whole turkey which has
lots of parts we just don't eat.  Sorry dark meat fans,...not a fan. The fresh, non frozen natural
turkey breasts are fairly common amongst the rock solid Butterballs and the other whole turkeys. 
They are truly one of my favorite things to make..and by now you know..I have LOTS of favorite things
to cook.  This is a major top 10.  It clearly says it's a holiday..the warm delicious fragrance that a
roasting turkey lends to a house tells you it's a special day to share with family and friends.  Another
candle scent that Yankee Candle has yet to market..keep your Sachets of Lavender Fields of Joy..
give me a wafting of Roasted Turkey.  I'll buy that one.
I made 2 whole breasts, but this recipe will be for one and that will feed at least 8 to 10 hungry dinner
guests.


I'm making the pictures big here so you get that homey feeling...are you not hungry yet just looking at
that?  I am.  Start off with a fresh, never frozen (there's a difference in the end result if you can get
one, if you use frozen and properly defrost it, it will also be delicious, but, and I have no scientific or
empirical data to back me up, I think meat always is better never having been frozen first.) natural
turkey breast..natural meaning minimally processed, no antibiotics, etc.  They are all about the same
size give or take a few lbs. so I'm not going to give you a specific size.  Rinse the breast and pat it
dry with paper towels inside and out, and keep everything you are using very clean..no cross-con-
tamination or salmonella farming please...  Place the breast meat side up on a large stable cutting
board and with a sharp knife gently pry the meat from the breast bones.  This will be somewhat
nervewracking the first time you do it.  Once you've removed the meat, careful not to remove any skin,
place each half onto a clean cutting board and trim off any excess skin.  In a large pot, add the skin
trimmings and the carcass, covering with water.  Add some whole mushrooms, scallions, fresh
sage leaves, a clove of garlic, 2 cut stalks of celery, 2 cut carrots, salt and pepper and bring this to
a boil, then let it simmer for about 1  1/2 hours.  The smell is ridiculously good.    While that is
making itself happy, season the breasts buy rubbing with salt, dried sage, pepper, granulated
garlic. Now make a roll or a tight "loaf" of each breast and lay it in a pan.  To this pan, add 2 cups
of apple cider, 1 chopped onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 3 cups of water that you dissolved 1 tsp. of kosher
salt into, and 1 tsp. of brown sugar. Add three bay leaves, some pepper, cover and refrigerate.  After
3 hours, turn, and let the skin side be on the bottom overnight., again, cover tightly and refrigerate.
In this pic you see the meat coming away
from the bones and in the right you see the other side of the breast sitting in the pan.

Left are the breast pieces fully deboned.  Right, are the breast tighly rolled with your hands ( yes you
can use twine if you like, but the tight shaping with your hands always works for me.) 

After you've cooked the life out of that carcass, line a colander with cheesecloth or doubled paper
towels over a large bowl.  Empty the simmered pot of turkey love into it and let it drip for a bit through
the cloth/towels.  Gently pull the colander out of the bowl using hand protection and when it's finished
dripping, discard all the solids.  You will be left with a heavenly bowl of clear turkey stock.  In another
pan, melt 1/2 stick of unsalted butter and then add 4 tbs. of flour.  cook this for about 5 minutes,
keep stirring for a nice rich color, then in batches add a few ladles of the stock, whisk till blended, and
each time you do this, in about 1 minute, or less it will be thick, keep adding until you have used up
all of the stock.  Bring this to a rolling boil, then a simmer and let this reduce to 1/2, check for season-
ing.  Let this cool over night.
DAY 2- pre heat the oven to 375.  Drain the brine from the turkey pan and flip the breasts over.  Season
the top of the breasts with paprika, salt, pepper, granulated garlic, and rubbed sage.  Add 2 cups of
apple cider, 1 chopped onion, 1 finely chopped stalk of celery, 1 crushed garlic clove, and 3 fresh
sage leaves.  Roast this in the oven for 1/2 hour, then brush the tops with melted butter, then a
basting of the pan juices. Roast for an additional 1/2 hour and check the temperature without hitting
the bottom of the pan, it is done when it registers 160-165. Pull it out and cover with foil, and let it sit
for at least 15 minutes before carving.  While it's sitting, bring out the gravy you made, reheat it and
add 3 ladles of the roasted pan juices.  If the gravy is too thin, mix 3 tbs. of flour with 1/8 cup of milk
till well blended and while briskly stirring, add to the gravy.  Let this cook for 5-10 minutes and you
should be at desired consistency.  Check for seasoning before you serve the gravy.


Once they have cooled a bit, the juice now will be retained and you may slice them  ...PLEASE..we
are not cavemen...don't slice more than 1/4 slices, 1/8 inch is even better..line the slices up and
pour some gravy over them..great presentation, easy to serve and to eat..and no one is fighting over
the leg, wing , more white meat..etc.