Turkey Breast Ballotine with Pork and Sage Stuffing

Turkey Breast Ballotine with Pork, Sage and Onion Stuffing. Two whole turkey breasts butterflied , stuffed with herby sausage stuffing and rolled up with Parma ham for a show-stopping main course. If the thought of cooking a whole Turkey this Christmas is daunting for you, or if you just prefer the white breast meat, then this is the recipe for you. Even better, it doesn’t require any carving skills. Ask your butcher (I recommend Bannerman Butcher if in Aberdeen) for deboned butterflied turkey breasts. You’ll be surprised how big a turkey breast is and when filled with my pork and sage stuffing, it will easy feed 6-8 hungry people.

Have a look at my other Christmas Recipes for more inspiration!

Recipe

Serves 6-8

Difficulty Level: Top Chef

Ingredients:

• Approx 3kg deboned, skinless butterflied Turkey Breast (ask your butcher to do this)
• 400g sausage meat or pork and sage sausages, out of their skins
• 2 shallots, or one onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 large bunch of sage, finely chopped
• 80g breadcrumbs
• 3 packets of Parma ham
• Salt and pepper
• 70g Butter
• Olive oil

Method:

1. Place the butterflied turkey breast on a chopping board. If the meat is thicker in some parts, cover the meat with cling film and bash with a rolling pin to an even rectangle shape. Rub well with 50g of the butter all over. Season well with salt and pepper.
2. In a pan over a medium heat, sweat the onions, garlic and half the sage in the remaining butter until soft. Allow to cool.
3. Mix together the onion, sausage meat, breadcrumbs and the remaining sage with plenty of salt and pepper.
4. Spread the sausage stuffing mixture into the bottom half of the butterflied turkey breast into a cylinder shape.
5. Roll the turkey breast around the stuffing as tight as possible. Secure any loose parts with toothpicks.
6. Cover the Turkey Ballotine tightly with Parma ham and tie with kitchen string to secure even further, if needed.
7. Place the Turkey Ballotine in a roasting dish. Drizzle with olive oil and season all over with salt and pepper. Heat the oven to 200C. Roast in the oven for approximately 1.5 hours, covering loosely with foil after the first 30 minutes, or until a probe thermometer reaches 74C. I’d highly recommend buying a probe thermometer as every oven differs slightly.
8. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for at least 20 minutes. Carve into slices and serve alongside Christmas Dinner staples, such as my Shredded Garlic Sprouts and Thyme and Orange Glazed Carrots