Thanksgiving Turkey & Rolls
What a busy week. And it all culminated in one delicious meal that will likely last through the weekend. If you haven’t seen my recipes and inspiration, from a Cranberry French 75 and Cranberry, Orange, & Rosemary Sauce to Truffle Potatoes and Corn Cacio e Pepe, there’s a lot of winners that’ll definitely make another appearance before the year ends. Oh, and don’t forget that trio of desserts that kept my sweet tooth satisfied all week.
Since everything was ready before Turkey Day, all that had to be done was the turkey itself and rolls. I had a meticulous plan for the day, stuck to it rigidly, and had dinner served by 3pm sharp. It’s the only time that it’s acceptable to eat early, assuring plenty of time for a good nap and seconds.
For the turkey, I used a 6lb. breast. My first time cooking such a small portion, it was really easy and provided more than enough. I think the total cooking time was around two hours and resulted in a golden brown skin, lots of juiciness, and great flavor.
I kept the turkey in an overnight brine the day before. That was made simply with water, lots of salt and pepper, garlic, and fresh thyme, rosemary, and sage. After drying and preparing it to roast, I covered the turkey (especially getting under that layer of skin) with a butter paste made with sage and rosemary. The saltiness of the brine came through in each slice of tender turkey, and the butter helped achieve that crispy top layer.
The Pull-Apart Sour Cream & Chive Rolls were a product of an amazing 4-page spread in the November issue of Bon Appétit. With just a short amount of actual hands on time and not too long to wait for the rolls to rise, these were warm and buttery and oniony—the perfect complement to everything on the plate.
Find the recipe for the rolls here.
“I had a meticulous plan for the day, stuck to it rigidly, and had dinner served by 3pm sharp. It’s the only time that it’s acceptable to eat early, assuring plenty of time for a good nap and seconds.”
