Turkey Galentine

Ingredients

• 1 whole Turkey Any Size, bones
• 1 box Stuffing Make your own or use any boxed brand
• 3 clove Garlic Crushed and Chopped
• 1 cup Butter Cut into slices
• 1 Roasting String
• Big Pinch Salt
• Big Pinch Fresh Pepper

Directions

“Galentine” is a classic French method of cooking a rolled meat usually by steaming it. In this case, we are using the same general concept to essentially create a boneless roast. Being a bit of a purist myself, I do not like using classic terms out of context. In this case, we will be caramelizing the exterior of the bird and then roasting it to finish.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Preparation

Bone the Turkey… boning a bird can be cumbersome and dangerous unless you are comfortable using a meat knife.

• remove the bird wings at the shoulder by cutting through and separating it at the joint and save them
• split the bird down the breast bone and gently fold back the meat brushing the knife between the rib cage and the breast until the meat lays filleted but not completely removed from the bird
• continue gently separating the meat from the cavity, including the membrane at the base of the ribs until you get to the top of the breast bone
• break the joint at the hip bone to the cavity, then separate it by cutting through the joint
• slice down the thigh bone and peel or cut the bone free down to the next joint which will be the top of the leg bone
• repeat on both side will leave the back of the bird cavity attached and the leg bones
• gently use the meat knife separating the rest of the cavity from the skin and tissue on the back until you can set the cavity aside; this will make a nice stock if you like later
• at the top of the leg bone, opposite of the foot end, use your meat knife severing the tendons from the bone at the top, then…
• shove the bone through upward so the leg is essentially inside out, then cut the bone away.
• once done on both legs, you should be able to start laying out the bird meat even if you have to open the bird legs to lay on the surface
• you will see a gap of meat along the back, between the breasts, but there should be skin
• if you can find the breast tenderloin lay it in that space created by the back

Done with laying out the bird? Saved the bones to make some stock that you might use for gravy later on? Then you are not yet done… there is still a hard part to this coming. But first, the easy part.

Let’s add the stuffing!

• lightly sprinkle salt, pepper and herbs over the exposed meat
• lightly grind fresh pepper over the splayed out meat;  you can be generous with fresh herbs by lightly chopping them and laying the meat
• layer the stuffing of choice on top of the bed of herbs less than an inch thick
• ready the biding string… getting ready for the hardest part here…
• roll the meat delicately from thighs to the top of the breast into a roll managing the stuffing gently to avoid leaking out of the ends
• secure the roast by binding it

In a heated roasting pan on stove top with a little olive oil in the bottom, lay the roast in the pan until it starts browning. Season the exterior lightly with salt, pepper and seasonings of they are dry. When properly caramelized, you should be able to turn the roast and continue browning all the way around and sear the ends if you can. Crush and drop in garlic cloves. Season and toss in the wings, too. Place butter in cubes on top of the roast. Then put in the oven until done.

Roast for about 45 minutes and depending on weight. Up to an hour. If poked juices should run clear from the thicker parts of the roast. Technically the internal temperature at the thickest point should be 165 degree, but 155 is my recommendation.