Sometimes roasting a whole turkey just seems like way too much work, especially if you are not feeding the masses. Or if all you really want is a nice simple turkey dinner with a bit of leftover turkey for sandwiches the next day. Or when you go to your local grocery store and half turkey breasts are on sale. Which is what happened for me a couple days ago. And since I had not hosted Thanksgiving this year, leaving us without any leftover turkey to call our own, I jumped at the chance to rectify this situation. So armed with 2 packages of half turkey breasts in my grocery shopping bag, one for the freezer and one for our oven, I went about developing this recipe.

I had dry rubbed a turkey breast a few years ago, but the herb/salt rub recipe I used at the time left a lot to be desired. So I started over using a variation of the dry rub I use when preparing a whole turkey and went from there.  And it turned out just swell. And really easy. And provided us with just the perfect little turkey dinner with leftover meat for turkey sandwiches. Just according to plan. Even the gravy for our mashed potatoes was delish. Rounded out the meal with some steamed broccoli and we enjoyed a wonderful turkey dinner with very little prep time involved. And we have leftover turkey for sandwiches. (Can’t mention the leftover turkey too often because at our house, turkey sandwiches are tantamount to heaven in sandwich form!) White bread, lots of mayonnaise, freshly ground black pepper, lots of thinly sliced turkey, and a little more mayonnaise for good measure. If that ain’t heaven, I don’t have a clue what is! Anyway……….

If you want an easy way to prepare a turkey breast, give this recipe a try. Dry rubbing is really the way to go. And if you are the lucky cook who gets to host the next holiday meal and are looking for a great recipe for roasting a whole turkey, give my Herb Salted Turkey with Cognac Gravy on this site a try. It too is easy to prepare and the results are perfect every time. And the gravy you will get from roasting your turkey this way. Suffice it to say, it simply could not be more delicious. Of course the wee bit of cognac stirred in just before serving certainly doesn’t hurt. But you must have a great flavor base to start with, or you might as well drink the cognac straight out of the bottle and throw the rest away! Not going to happen if you take your time and pay attention while your gravy is simmering away to perfection.

So whether you choose to roast just a turkey breast or a whole turkey, I’ve got you covered. So enjoy your time in the kitchen. And remember. Turkey is not just for Thanksgiving. It can be enjoyed any old time of year. Gobble gobble!

½ tsp. dried rosemary leaves

½ tsp. dried sage leaves

½ tsp. dried thyme leaves

8 black peppercorns

1 small bay leaf

1 T. kosher salt

2 tsp. brown sugar

½ tsp. lemon zest

1 (about 3-3½ lb.) half turkey breast (not boneless)

1 T. butter, melted

chicken stock

flour

1 tsp. Kitchen Bouquet

freshly ground black pepper

1-2 tsp. cognac, opt.

Grind the rosemary, sage, thyme, peppercorns, and bay leaf together and place in a small bowl. (I use my mortar and pestle.) Stir in the kosher salt, brown sugar, and lemon zest.

Place turkey, skin side up, on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Pat herb and spice mixture under the skin and all over both sides of turkey breast.

Chill, uncovered, at least 12 hours and up to 2 days. Remove turkey breast from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature 2–3 hours. Slather the top side with the melted butter. Pour 1 cup chicken stock into baking sheet.

Place the turkey breast on the middle rack in preheated 450 degree oven.  

Roast turkey breast until skin is mostly dark golden brown all over, about 30 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees and continue to roast turkey breast, adding another cup of stock as needed to maintain some liquid in baking sheet. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breast registers 150 degrees (don’t worry; the temperature will continue to climb while the turkey breast rests), 30-40 minutes longer. Skin should be deep golden brown and crisp.

Transfer turkey breast to a cutting board, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour before slicing. Retain the liquid and brown bits in the bottom of the pan for gravy.

Place the roasting pan on the stove after the turkey has been removed. Turn the heat to very low and begin making your gravy immediately. (Good gravy flavor and consistency require time to develop.) Do not remove any fat from the pan, do not strain the liquid, do not do any of the things most cook book writers tell you to do to make good gravy (except me, that is!)

Whisk in enough flour to absorb the fat. Let burble for a couple of minutes. (This process takes time, so be patient.) Slowly whisk in turkey or chicken stock until you reach the desired thickness you like. Add the Kitchen Bouquet (gives the gravy great color) and some freshly ground black pepper. Taste the gravy. Add a bit of salt if needed.

Turn heat as low as possible and let the gravy simmer away for the next 30 minutes or so, whisking periodically. (You will probably need to add more stock during this time.) Also, after the turkey is sliced and plated, don’t forget to add the juices that have accumulated to the gravy.

Just before serving (and gravy should be the last item plated), taste the gravy and make any final adjustments to the seasoning. Stir in the cognac and serve piping hot.

Note: This recipe doubles nicely if you want to roast a whole turkey breast. Just double all the ingredients.