Wild Turkey Roll-Ups
Self admittedly, this was my very first time cooking with wild turkey. As I unpacked the wild game, my heart fluttered with excitement. I’ve always been told that wild turkey is fantastic, much more delicious, tender and juicy, than any turkey you can buy in the store. And boy, they weren’t lying when they told me that! You’ll see for yourself!
I chose to pair this recipe with a baked sweet potato, and baked lemon asparagus. I used the remainder of the cranberry-wild rice mixture to plate the turkey, and from the turkey bake itself, I used the remaining juices to mix up a quick gravy for the sweet potato and turkey. I also made a cranberry-apple chutney to dip the turkey in – SO GOOD, and very easy to make!
This dish would be a fantastic Thanksgiving meal for a small group of people, if you’re not excited about cooking a 20lb turkey. You can also substitute chicken in place of turkey, if you so desire.
Here’s what you’ll need:
For the Turkey:
- 1/2 cup wild rice (I use Rice-a-Roni cause I’m cool like that)
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1 Tbsp dried thyme leaf
- 1/4 cup diced apple (any tart variety)
- 4 tsp olive oil, divided
- 1/4 cup diced onion
- 1/4 cup diced celery
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 large egg
- 3-4lb boneless turkey breast, skin removed, butterfiled
- 1 whole onion, peeled and quartered
- 12oz can unsweetened frozen apple juice concentrate, or 12oz apple cider
For the Cranberry-Apple Chutney:
- 14oz can whole-berry cranberry sauce
- 1 Granny Smith Apple, chopped
- 1 large shallot (or 1/2 small onion), chopped
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon garam masala (optional)
- 1″ knob fresh ginger, peeled
- Juice of 1 orange
DIRECTIONS:
In a small sauce pan, prepare your rice as directed. Remove from heat and transfer half of the rice to a mixing bowl (save the remaining rice for another use). Stir in the cranberries, thyme, and apple, and set aside.
In a large nonstick frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil, and sauté the diced onion and celery for 2-3 minutes. Pour the vegetables into the rice. Mix well, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Lightly beat the egg, and add it to the rice. Stir to combine, then set the rice mixture aside to cool completely. (You could even make the rice stuffing a day ahead.)
When the rice mixture is cool, unfold the turkey breast on a board, with the inside facing up, being sure to open all of the flaps. Spread the rice mixture evenly over the turkey. Starting at one end, roll the turkey as best you can (it won’t be perfect, but that’s okay), and tie with kitchen twine or toothpicks to hold the meat together. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Add the remaining oil to the frying pan, and brown the turkey on all sides.
Transfer to a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker, along with the quartered onion and all of the apple juice concentrate or cider.
Cover and cook on 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Uncover and cook an additional 10 minutes, or until a thermometer measures 165°F when inserted into the center of the turkey.
While your turkey is cooking, you can start making the cranberry-apple chutney. To do so, combine 1 can whole-berry cranberry sauce with 1 chopped Granny Smith apple, the juice of 1 orange, 1 large shopped shallot and seasonings like garam masala (I find that at Target under the Archer Farms brand,) red chili pepper flakes, fresh ginger, and apple cider vinegar. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and let simmer for 30 minutes. Chill in the fridge.
Remove the turkey from the oven, and cover with foil to let rest. You can strain the liquid from the pan and boil it down in a small sauce pan, to make a gravy. Just add corn starch as needed (mix corn starch in a small glass of water and pour into gravy to thicken)
The final product should look a little something like this:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Sierra Laurent
Registered Veterinary Nurse
ReelCamo Girl Team Member
Passionate about cooking
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