Turkey Breast Stuffed with Matzo and Fennel
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 pound fennel (sometimes called anise), stalks and fronds cut off and discarded, then bulbs cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 2 celery ribs, cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 2 egg matzos (about 6 inches square), broken into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seedstoasted and ground in an electric coffee/spice grinder
- 1 (6- to 7-pound) whole turkey breast (bone and skin attached)
- 1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (14 fluid ounces)
- 1 teaspoon potato starch
- Special equipment: kitchen string; an instant-read thermometer
- Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then saute onion, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes.
- Reduce heat to moderate and add fennel, celery, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until fennel and celery are golden and tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Transfer vegetables to a bowl to cool.
- Soak raisins in boiling-hot water to cover 5 minutes, then drain well and chop.
- Add to vegetables.
- Rinse matzo in a colander under hot running water until softened, 15 to 30 seconds.
- Drain, pressing gently on matzo to extract excess water.
- Add to vegetables along with egg, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and stir until combined.
- Stir together 1 tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and ground fennel seed in a small bowl.
- See No Bones About It.
- Arrange 1 breast half, skinned side down, lengthwise on work surface, with thinner, pointed end nearest you.
- Starting at top (thicker part), cut breast half lengthwise down middle, but not all the way through to work surface, with a boning knife or a sharp, small knife, stopping about 1 inch from end closest to you.
- Then, turning knife horizontally, cut turkey breast open on either side like a book jacket, beginning at lengthwise cut, to form 2 flaps.
- Open flaps, then put butterflied breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap.
- Pound turkey with flat side of a meat pounder or with a rolling pin until 1/2 inch thick.
- Butterfly and flatten remaining breast half.
- Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375F.
- Remove top sheet of plastic wrap from 1 breast half and pat turkey dry.
- Arrange with a short side nearest you and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
- Mound half of stuffing in center, leaving a 1-inch border on each long side.
- Fold short end nearest you over stuffing to enclose, gently pressing on filling, then roll to form a cylinder (don't roll too tight, or filling will slip out of ends).
- Tie rolled turkey breast crosswise at 1-inch intervals with kitchen string.
- Season remaining turkey breast half with remaining 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, then stuff, roll, and tie in same manner.
- Rub fennel oil all over roasts to coat.
- Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large heavy flameproof roasting pan straddled across 2 burners on moderately high heat.
- Add roasts (position 1 roast over each burner) and sear, turning with tongs, until golden brown on all sides, about 6 minutes total.
- Cover pan tightly with foil and roast turkey in oven until a thermometer inserted diagonally 2 inches into center of each roast (to touch stuffing) registers 165F, 35 to 40 minutes.
- Transfer roasts to a cutting board and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 10 minutes before slicing.
- While roasts stand, straddle roasting pan across 2 burners on moderately high heat, then add 1 1/2 cups broth and deglaze by boiling, stirring, and scraping up brown bits, until liquid is reduced to about 1 cup, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Whisk together remaining 1/4 cup broth and potato starch and whisk into sauce, then boil, whisking, until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Pour sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a sauceboat and skim off any fat.
- Serve turkey with sauce.
olive oil, onion, fennel, celery, salt, golden raisins, egg, egg, fresh parsley, black pepper, turkey breast, chicken broth, potato starch, kitchen string
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/turkey-breast-stuffed-with-matzo-and-fennel-109320 (may not work)