Thanksgiving Day and beyond.....turkey. Do not play "Russian roulette" with the star , make a roulade instead!

Turkey roulade




In the next few posts, I shall feature some Thanksgiving dishes that could very well be prepared on days other than Thanksgiving. I know that it is only July.....hence my title " Thanksgiving and Beyond." Even though I love the turkey roulade, I dare not cook it on Thanksgiving day because I have far too many diners over at my house and they always demand the bird and the whole enchilada! This could be a preparation for someone that does not want to cook the actual turkey, and still enjoy the "star" on D day! Here my "stuffing" is kind of on the outside if you will and this rendition is succulent and flavorful. It is craaaazy good!

Thanksgiving is a holiday celebrated in the US on the last Thursday in November. It is a holiday celebrated to give thanks to our Creator for the "abundance of the harvest", much like the Pilgrims in the days of yonder. It is a time for communal Thanksgiving and to reflect on those times when it was the Native Indian who taught the Pilgrims about the invaluable bounty of this wild frontier!


Turkey roulade: Filling:

1 small onion ( small dice)
11/2 red bell peppers and 1 green bell pepper chopped
1/2 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes
1 t pounded garlic
1 t pure pickle masala or sweet Hungarian paprika
1t roasted bell pepper and garlic seeds
Kosher salt to taste

Sauté onion and garlic in 2 T olive oil until golden about 10 mins., add the masala, the seeds and the sun dried tomatoes and cook further for another 5mins. Lastly add the all the chopped bell peppers and cook until just tender another 5 mins. Set aside to cool.


Topping:
Cilantro lemon crust:
2 c panko breadcrumbs
1 bunch chopped cilantro
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 T roasted red bell pepper seeds
olive oil and kosher salt

Add the chopped cilantro, zest , juice and seeds to the breadcrumbs and mix and add just enough oil to lightly coat the crumbs, do not drench ! Season to taste.

Cover a 2lbs turkey breast with plastic and using a meat mallet pound out the breast. Season the breast on both sides with a mixture of kosher salt, pickle masala, lemon pepper, cumin and dried oregano. Fill the roulade with the cooled filling and roll up like a Swiss roll. Place in a baking dish and cover the top of the roll with the topping, sprinkle with some olive oil and bake 375 for approx. 50 mins to an hour. Make sure that there is enough olive oil to coat the breast while baking. The end result will be a flavorful and a succulent roulade, just like in my picture!
Enjoy!


E-mail me if you have questions