Ingredients
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3/4 cup dried cranberries
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1/2 cup calvados or 1/2 cup brandy
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4 tablespoons unsalted butter
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1 cup celery (3 stalks 1/2 inch diced)
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3/4 lb pork sausage, casings removed (sweet and hot mixed)
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3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
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1 1/2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
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kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
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1 turkey breast, whole (2 halves)
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3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
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1 1/2 cups diced onions (2 onions)
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1 extra-large egg, beaten
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3 cups pepperidge farm herb seasoned stuffing mix
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1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
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3/4 cup large-diced dried fig, stems removed
Instructions
- Place the dried figs and cranberries in a small saucepan and pour in the Calvados and 1/2 cup water. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage, crumbling it into small bits with a fork, and sauté, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes, until cooked and browned. Add the figs and cranberries with the liquid, the chopped rosemary, and pine nuts, and cook for 2 more minutes. Scrape up the brown bits with a wooden spoon.
- Place the stuffing mix in a large bowl. Add the sausage mixture, chicken stock, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and stir well. (The stuffing may be prepared ahead and stored in the refrigerator overnight.).
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place a baking rack on a sheet pan.
- Lay the butterflied turkey breast skin side down on a cutting board. Sprinkle the meat with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Spread the stuffing in a 1/2-inch-thick layer over the meat, leaving a half-inch border on all sides. Don’t mound the stuffing or the turkey will be difficult to roll. (Place the leftover stuffing in a buttered gratin dish and bake for the last 45 minutes of roasting alongside the turkey.) Starting at one end, roll the turkey like a jelly roll and tuck in any stuffing that tries to escape on the sides. Tie the roast firmly with kitchen twine every 2 inches to make a compact cylinder.
- Place the stuffed turkey breast seam side down on the rack on the sheet pan. Brush with the melted butter, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, and roast for 1-3/4 to 2 hours, until a thermometer reads 150 degrees in the center. (I test in a few places.) Cover the turkey with aluminum foil and allow it to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Carve 1/2-inch-thick slices and serve warm with the extra stuffing.