Turkey Breast with Cranberry-Pecan Stuffing

Serves: 4 to 6 // Prep time: 30 minutes | Grilling time: about 45 minutes | Special equipment: butcher’s twine, roasting pan with a rack, instant-read thermometer

INGREDIENTS

• 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• ½ cup finely chopped yellow onion
• ½ cup finely chopped celery
• 1 cup toasted or stale ¼-inch bread cubes, either white, sprouted grain or gluten free
• ½ cup dried sweetened cranberries
• ½ cup pecans, toasted and chopped
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh sage leaves
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 boneless turkey breast half (with skin), 2½ to 3 pounds, butterflied
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour/corn starch or 1 tablespoon arrowroot
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare the grill for indirect cooking over medium heat (350° to 450°F).

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onion and celery and cook until tender, 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the bread cubes, cranberries, pecans, sage, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Mix until all the bread is moistened. Let cool.

Place the butterflied turkey breast, skin side down, on a large cutting board. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap on top. Using a meat mallet or a small, heavy skillet, pound the meat to an even ¾-inch thickness (the size of the turkey breast should be approximately 14 by 8 inches). Season both sides with salt and pepper.

Spread the stuffing over the turkey breast, leaving an empty margin of at least 1 inch all the way around the edges. Then roll up the turkey breast lengthwise, creating a cylinder. Tie with butcher’s twine at 2-inch intervals to secure the stuffing. Brush the turkey breast all over with 2 tablespoons softened butter.

Place the turkey breast, skin side up, on a rack set inside a roasting pan. Grill over indirect medium heat, with the lid closed, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the stuffed breast registers 160° to 165°F, about 45 minutes. Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and let rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make the gravy.

Remove the rack from the roasting pan and place the pan on a stovetop over medium heat. Remove and discard any pieces of the stuffing that might have fallen out. Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in the pan and add the flour. Whisk the mixture and let it cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the broth about ½ cup at a time, whisking each addition and scraping up the bits from the bottom of the pan until thoroughly mixed. Bring the gravy to a simmer over medium-high heat. Continue to cook until the gravy reaches the consistency you like, 5 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Remove the twine and cut the turkey crosswise into thick slices. Serve warm with the gravy.

Source:  Jamie Purviance from Weber