Turkey Wellington with Peppercorn Gravy
Island Gurl Foods Seasoned Salt (Makes 1/3 cup)
2 Tbsp fine sea salt
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
Stuffing
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter (optional)
¼ cup diced onion
¼ cup red bell peppers, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
½ cup dried sweetened cranberries
1 cup ground turkey
1 Tbsp Island Gurl Foods Seasoned Salt
2 tsp diced fresh Italian parsley
2 cups plain breadcrumbs
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
½ cup turkey stock (substitute vegetable stock or chicken stock if needed)
1 tsp lemon zest
Juice of 1 lemon
Turkey Wellington
3 ½ lb boneless, skinless turkey breast
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 packets puff pastry dough chilled (16 oz each)
6-8 strips turkey bacon
Home-Style Peppercorn Gravy (Makes 1 L)
1/2 cup (125 mL) duck fat or canola oil
2/3 cup (160 mL) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (125 mL) roast chicken or
turkey drippings
4 cups (1 L) chicken stock, heated
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground thyme
1–2 tsp (5–10 mL) tri-color peppercorns
Salt to taste
Place all seasoned salt ingredients in a small dish and mix thoroughly with a fork. Keep in an airtight container.
Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil and butter over medium heat in a medium skillet. Add onions, bell pepper, diced garlic, cranberries and cook for 3 minutes. Add turkey, ½ of the seasoned salt and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, transfer to a medium bowl.
Add parsley, breadcrumbs, stock, zest, lemon juice, remaining salt, mix and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400˚F (200˚C). Drizzle 2 tbsp of oil over the turkey, season with the seasoned salt mixture on all sides, then set aside.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, place the turkey on the pan then loosely cover with tin foil and bake in the oven for 60 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165˚F. Remove and allow to cool.
Dust a clean surface with flour and roll out the puff pastry to about the size of a shoebox. Place the turkey bacon in overlapping layers (widthwise) over the dough.
Place a portion of the stuffing over the bacon and spread out with a silicone spatula for the length of the breast. Place the turkey breast on top of the mixture, cover on top and all sides of the breast with the stuffing to adhere (add more broth to the bowl of stuffing if needed). Wrap both ends of the bacon around the breast.
Roll out the other pastry sheet, place on top of the turkey breast and lightly press to form, brush the edges with egg wash, tuck in the ends to seal and pinch in layers around the turkey to form edges like a pie crust.
Place the turkey on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and lightly dusted with flour. Brush the top and sides with egg wash, use a fork to score the pastry with a decorative design (optional) or add leaves to the dough made from excess puff pastry.
Bake for 40 minutes or until the puff pastry is beautifully golden and done. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for about 10 minutes before carving.
To start your gravy, in a 4-quart (4L) pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring to make a dark brown roux. Stir in drippings. Add stock and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low.
Add thyme, peppercorns and season with salt. Continue to simmer until the gravy is thickened and coats the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes.
Source: Chef Raquel Fox (IslandGurlFoods.com)
