How To Make Turkey Roulade With Dried Cherries And Sausage Stuffing

Roll some meat up this Thanksgiving

This turkey roulade, which cooks up in under an hour, is perfect for a last-minute Thanksgiving dinner. Stuffed with sweet Italian sausage, chanterelle mushrooms, dried cherries, and cooked-down aromatics, it will be one of the easier items you'll cook this holiday. 

Recipe from the Tasting Table Test Kitchen

Turkey Roulade With Dried Cherries And Sausage Stuffing
5 from 53 ratings
Learn to make turkey roulade with sausage, mushrooms and dried cherries. 
Prep Time
1
hour
Cook Time
50
minutes
Servings
8
to 10 servings
Total time: 1 hour, 50 minutes
Ingredients
  • For the Turkey Roulade
  • ¼ cup butter
  • ¾ cup finely chopped onions (about 1 small onion)
  • ½ cup finely chopped celery (about 2 ribs)
  • ½ cup finely chopped fennel
  • ½ cup finely chopped leeks (about 1 leek)
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • ¼ cup dried cherries, roughly chopped
  • ½ cup cognac
  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 8 ounces mushrooms, such as chanterelle, cremeni or shitake, roughly chopped
  • ½ pound sweet Italian sausage, crumbled
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
  • 3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
  • 1 3½- to 4-pound boneless turkey breast with skin, butterflied (see note)
  • For the Gravy
  • 3 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 sprigs fresh sage
  • 1 fresh bay leaf
  • 1 large shallot, finely diced
  • 1 garlic clove, smashed
  • ¼ cup white wine
  • 2½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 4 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Directions
  1. Make the turkey roulade: Preheat the oven to 425°. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter until foamy. Add the onions, celery, fennel, leeks and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very soft, about 10 to 12 minutes. Add the dried cherries and cook until the cherries are plump, about 3 minutes. Add the cognac and reduce until almost evaporated, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
  2. Wipe out skillet and heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms. Season with salt and cook, stirring often, until any water they have released has evaporated, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the sausage and cook until the sausage has browned but is still slightly raw in the center, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the mushroom-sausage mixture to the cooked vegetables. Mix in the herbs and pine nuts until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Remove the turkey from the refrigerator and place on a clean work surface, skin-side down. Pat the turkey dry on both sides using paper towels. Season both sides liberally with salt and pepper. Place the filling mixture in the center and evenly spread over the surface, leaving a 1-inch border at the edges. Beginning at the shortest end, carefully roll the breast up, enclosing the stuffing. Using kitchen twine, tie the roulade at 1-inch intervals. Season the outside liberally with salt and pepper.
  4. Wipe out the skillet and heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the turkey roulade and brown on all sides, about 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer the turkey to an aluminum-lined sheet tray and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat reads 150°, about 12 to 15 minutes per pound. Reserve the pan for gravy. Remove the roulade from the oven and form a loose tent using foil and allow to rest on a clean work surface. Reserve drippings from sheet tray.
  5. While the turkey is roasting, make the gravy: Tie the parsley, thyme, sage and bay leaf together using kitchen twine to form a bouquet garni. Place the reserved pan over medium heat and add the reserved drippings to the pan. Add the shallot and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the wine, scraping any brown bits on the bottom and reduce by half. Adjust the heat to low. Add the flour and stir until the roux has become golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the bouquet garni and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock to the saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, until the gravy has reduced to 2 cups and coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Stir in the butter and season with salt and pepper.
  6. Untie the turkey breast and slice crosswise into ½-inch to 1-inch slices. Serve with gravy. Note: When making the roulade, make sure to pat the turkey very dry on both sides before adding the sausage mixture. That way you'll get a beautiful golden-brown sear on the outside.
Nutrition
Calories per Serving 527
Total Fat 28.5 g
Saturated Fat 9.5 g
Trans Fat 0.3 g
Cholesterol 127.5 mg
Total Carbohydrates 18.1 g
Dietary Fiber 3.4 g
Total Sugars 6.6 g
Sodium 923.2 mg
Protein 41.9 g
The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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