Tuscan Turkey Roulade

A turkey breast layered with caramelized onions, fennel seeds, fresh herbs, and pancetta, then rolled and roasted. This beautiful turkey roulade is a Thanksgiving showstopper. 

I always roast a whole turkey for the holidays, but this year I wanted to try something new & unique. I found a wonderful recipe in Ina Garten’s Modern Comfort Food cookbook for a Tuscan Turkey Roulade that looked fairly easy to make and was a real beauty. I followed the recipe as written, but had trouble tying up the roast; for some reason, it worked out just fine. I couldn’t believe how tender and juicy this turkey breast turned out! We all agreed this turkey roulade would be a wonderful addition to any holiday meal, especially for a small gathering. The turkey paired well with mashed potato casserole, turkey gravy, buttery herb stuffing, lemon butter green beans with parmesan, and homemade cranberry sauce.

Tuscan Turkey Roulade

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• ¾ tsp whole fennel seeds
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh sage leaves, chopped, + 4-5 whole sage leaves
• 2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 (4-5 lb.) whole turkey breast, butterflied with skin on **A whole breast refers to two breasts of one turkey, with the skin connecting them.
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 4 oz thinly sliced prosciutto
• 4 tbsp cold unsalted butter, grated **Grate butter on a box grater
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup water

How to Make a Tuscan Turkey Roulade:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small skillet. Add the onion and fennel seeds and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

Remove from the heat. Add the sage and rosemary; mix until well combined, then set it aside to cool completely.

Meanwhile, open the turkey breast on a cutting board, skin side down. Sprinkle the meat with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste. 

Once the onion mixture has cooled, spread it evenly on the meat.

Next, layer the prosciutto, then sprinkle the grated butter evenly over the top.  Side Note: A whole turkey breast refers to the two breasts of one turkey, with the skin connecting them.

Starting at one long end of the turkey breast, roll the meat jelly-roll style to make a compact cylindrical roulade, ending with the seam side down. Tie the roulade tightly with kitchen twine at 2-inch intervals to ensure roasting evenly.

Slip some whole sage leaves under the twine down the center of the roulade.

Place the roulade, seam side down, in a roasting pan, and pat the skin dry with paper towels. Brush the skin with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Pour the wine and water into the roasting pan (not over the turkey).

Roast for 1½-1¾ hours, until the skin is golden brown and the internal temperature is 150 degrees, using a meat thermometer.

Remove from the oven, cover loosely with a foil tent, and let it rest for 15 minutes.

Remove the string and slice crosswise.

Serve warm with pan juices, if desired. Enjoy.