A turkey roulade is a festive and flavorful dish that’s perfect for any special occasion, but especially for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s essentially a deboned turkey breast that’s been spread with a delicious herb paste rolled up, and then roasted to perfection. This method ensures that the turkey is cooked evenly and stays moist and juicy and the herb paste infuses the meat with incredible flavor.
The best part about a turkey roulade is that it’s surprisingly easy to make, despite its elegant appearance. With just a few simple steps, you can create a show-stopping centerpiece that will impress your guests and leave them wanting more.
Why Make a Turkey Roulade?
There are many reasons to choose a turkey roulade over a traditional whole roasted turkey:
- Evenly cooked and juicy: The roulade shape ensures that the turkey breast cooks more evenly, because the thickness of the roast is more even throughout, unlike a boneless turkey breast that is thick on one end and smaller on the other.
- Flavorful: The herb paste that is spread on the turkey breast before rolling it up infuses the meat with a lot of flavor as it cooks. The fat in this paste also helps to keep the turkey breast moist from the inside.
- Moist: From the outside, the turkey roll is wrapped with the skin. This skin also helps to keep the turkey breast moist. Otherwise, the water will evaporate more readily from the turkey breast meat.
- Easy to slice: Because of the even shape of the turkey roulade, slicing the turkey breast is so easy too! Each person gets equal pieces of turkey breast, so no fighting over the bird!
- More manageable: It’s a much easier (but fancier and just as impressive) alternative to cooking an entire bird. A great way to cook turkey for smaller gatherings or if you want extra meat, but don’t need to cook a large turkey.
How to Make a Turkey Roulade
Making a turkey roulade is a straightforward process that can be broken down into a few key steps:
- Prepare the turkey breast: This involves removing the bones from the turkey breast, leaving you with a flat piece of meat. You can ask your butcher to do this for you, or you can follow a detailed tutorial online.
- Make the herb paste: This is a flavorful mixture of herbs, spices, and oil that will be spread on the turkey breast before rolling it up. The exact ingredients can vary, but common additions include sage, rosemary, garlic, brown sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Spread the herb paste: Spread the herb paste evenly over the entire surface of the turkey breast.
- Roll up the turkey breast: Starting from one end, tightly roll up the turkey breast. The herb paste will help the roll hold its shape.
- Wrap the turkey roll: Wrap the turkey roll in kitchen twine to secure it. You can also wrap it in bacon or turkey skin for added flavor and moisture.
- Roast the turkey roll: Roast the turkey roll in a preheated oven until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the roll, but it will typically take around 2-3 hours.
- Rest the turkey roll: Let the turkey roll rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving. This allows the juices to redistribute, resulting in a more tender and flavorful turkey.
Tips for Making a Perfect Turkey Roulade
Here are a few tips to help you make the best turkey roulade possible:
- Use a sharp knife: A sharp knife will make it easier to remove the bones from the turkey breast without tearing the meat.
- Don’t overcook the turkey: Overcooked turkey will be dry and tough. Use a meat thermometer to ensure that the turkey reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Let the turkey rest: As mentioned above, resting the turkey allows the juices to redistribute, resulting in a more tender and flavorful turkey.
- Get creative with the herb paste: There are endless possibilities when it comes to the herb paste. Feel free to experiment with different flavors and combinations to find your favorite.
- Serve with your favorite sides: Turkey roulade pairs well with a variety of sides, such as mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, and cranberry sauce.
A turkey roulade is a delicious and impressive dish that’s perfect for any special occasion. With its tender, juicy turkey and flavorful herb paste, it’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser. So next time you’re looking for a show-stopping centerpiece for your holiday meal, give a turkey roulade a try. You won’t be disappointed!
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Ina Garten’s Tuscan Turkey Roulade | Barefoot Contessa | Food Network
FAQ
What is a roulade in cooking?
What is turkey roll made of?
How do you cut a turkey breast for roulade?
How long does it take to cook a Turkey roulade?
Brush with melted butter and season all sides generously with salt and pepper. Bake the turkey roulade for 45-60 minutes, until the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 165°F (75˚C). Bake the leftover stuffing for 20-30 minutes, until lightly browned on top. Let rest for 15 minutes, then remove the twine, slice, and serve.
What is Turkey roulade?
A roulade is a dish that’s filled and rolled. It can be sweet, like this pumpkin swiss cake roll, or savory, like these chicken roll-ups or this turkey roulade, which is filled with homemade stuffing.
What is a boneless Turkey roulade?
A roulade is a technique in which ingredients are rolled. This recipe consists of a homemade stuffing rolled into a boneless turkey breast. Boneless Turkey Roll is another name for this recipe. A much more manageable size making serving easier. It also makes freezing much easier.
Is Turkey roulade sweet or savory?
It can be sweet, like this pumpkin swiss cake roll, or savory, like these chicken roll-ups or this turkey roulade, which is filled with homemade stuffing. A turkey roulade is easier than cooking an entire bird because, instead of the thigh meat lagging behind the breast meat, the rolled roast bakes evenly.