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November 2007

Reflection:

My sister Silvie lives in a remote village close to the Mont St. Michele. Her historic old stone-walled manor is a treasure. She grows all her vegetables and raises chickens, ducks, turkeys, rabbits and sheep. No need to go to the market when you have such a bounty in your backyard. Turkey is the family favorite during the holiday season. What grows in the garden determines what goes in the stuffing.

Tip:

Baste your turkey often during the roasting process. Buy your croissants a few days ahead of time. They are easier to cut and will absorb the flavors better. If you can’t find Lingonberry, you can substitute with cherry jam or cranberry sauce

 


Recipe
:

"Ballotine of Turkey Breast"
Croissant Sausage Stuffing, Braised Apples, Lingonberry


The Turkey
3-4 lb. boneless free range turkey breast
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp. lemon thyme, chopped
1 tsp. sea salt
** freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp. shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 cup ruby port
1/4 cup sun dried figs, quartered
2 cups chicken stock
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 375°. Place boneless turkey breast on cutting board. Butterfly cut breast lengthwise to create pocket. Place one third stuffing in turkey breast pocket. Tie with butcher twine. Place turkey breast in roasting pan skin side up. Baste with olive oil. Rub in lemon thyme, sea salt and pepper. Bake 45 minutes to one hour or until center of turkey breast reaches 160 degrees. Remove turkey from roasting pan. Discard fat. Add sliced shallots. Cook on low heat to translucent. Pour in ruby port and sun dried figs. Reduce by half. Add chicken stock. Reduce by two thirds. Whisk in butter. Season with salt and pepper.


Stuffing
1/2 stick unsalted butter

2 cups leeks, white part only, minced
1/2 cup celery, finely diced
1/2 cup fennel, thinly sliced
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup sun dried apricots, diced
1 tsp. sage, chopped
1/2 cup parsley, minced
1 cup chicken stock
6 hot Italian sausages, uncooked
8 large croissants, cubed

Melt butter in medium skillet over moderate heat. Add leeks, celery, and fennel. Cook until translucent. Add pecans, sun dried apricots, sage, parsley, chicken stock. Bring to boil. Let cool. Remove sausage from casing. Crumble sausage meat into mixing bowl. Combine with cool vegetable mixture and croissants. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Place two thirds of stuffing into baking dish. Cover. Place in oven at 375° degrees for 30 min.


Braised Apples
8 Granny Smith apples, braised
1 lemon, halved
8 oz. lingonberries (a little jar)
1 Tbsp. lavender honey
1/2 cup unsalted butter
** ground cardamom

Cut apples in half horizontally. Core and stem. Place in baking pan. Rub apples with cut side of lemon. Fill apples with lingonberries. Melt butter with honey. Drizzle over apples. Sprinkle ground cardamom. Bake in oven at 375° 15 minutes or until tender.


Presentation
8 sprigs sage

Cut turkey breast into 1 inch slices. Place in center of warm serving plate. Scoop portion of stuffing in center of turkey slices. Garnish with braised apples. Ladle sauce directly over turkey slices. Garnish with sage sprig.




 

Bon Appetit!!
Executive Chef Bernard Guillas
The Marine Room, La Jolla, California





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