Pancetta-wrapped turkey breast with herby lemon & pine nut stuffing

Pancetta-wrapped turkey breast with herby lemon & pine nut stuffing

No need for impressive carving skills with this easy-to-serve dish with creamy gravy

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 6-8, plus leftovers

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 30 mins

Cook time

Cook 2 hrs

Freezable

Can be frozen uncooked

Method

  1. First prepare the stuffing. Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan, then soften the onion without colouring for 10 mins. Tip into a bowl. Add the pancetta or bacon to the pan, fry for 5 mins until golden, then add the pine nuts, garlic, sage and lemon zest. Fry for 1 min more until fragrant and the pine nuts are starting to brown. Stir in the chopped parsley. Tip into the bowl with the onions, then bind with the crumbs, egg and seasoning.
  2. Butter and season a sheet of turkey foil or use 2 sheets of foil crimped together to make a sheet about 50 x 60cm. Lay five long pieces of string over the foil like rungs of a ladder, ready to tie the breast together. Arrange the pancetta or bacon in a lattice over the middle of the foil, on top of the string.
  3. Open out the butterflied breast, skin-side down, and slash each side several times. Cover with cling film and bash with a rolling pin until the meat is about 5cm thick all over. Trim the sides so that you have a roughly rectangular shape (but be careful not to cut the skin). Lift onto the pancetta, then fill any gaps with the trimmings. Season, then press the stuffing along the middle of the joint. Pull up the sides at one end, tucking in the short end, then tie the string tightly so that the stuffing is encased. Repeat with all the strings. Wrap up tightly in the foil, then turn the roll over so that the pancetta is on the top. Can be left in the fridge for up to 2 days.
  4. Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Sit the joint in a roasting tin and roast for 40 mins per kg or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out very hot and the juices run clear. Unwrap for the last 10 mins of cooking.
  5. Lift the joint onto a board and leave to rest, covered, for at least 10 mins. For the gravy, heat the tin on the hob, then splash in the wine and any juices. Reduce by half, then add the stock and repeat. Pour in the cream and bubble to a slightly reduced sauce. Season to taste, then stir in the parsley.
Try

Sticky rosemary & garlic roots

Cut 1 medium swede (about 500g), 500g parsnips and 500g carrots into chunks. Peel and cut 2 red onions into 6 wedges each, leaving the root ends intact. Peel 5 garlic cloves; leave whole. Heat 25g butter in a large, lidded frying pan, then add the veg, 1 tbsp chopped rosemary and 4 tbsp veg stock. Season well, then put the lid on and cook gently for about 25 mins or until tender.

Know-how - butterflied turkey breast

A butterflied turkey breast is two turkey breasts taken off the bird and still joined by the skin. Ask your butcher to do this for you.

850 kcalories, protein 96g, carbohydrate 18.6g, fat 43.5 g, saturated fat 16.2g, fibre 1g, sugar 6g, salt 2.96 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, January 2008.

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Latest comments and suggestions

Results 1-20

  • Binder photo Louise

    29 December 2007

    Louise rated and commented on this recipe

    3 stars

    I thought this was only ok, there wasn't enough stuffing for the size of the turkey and the method seemed more complicated than it need be. Everyone was pleased enough with it though.

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  • Binder photo Louise

    29 December 2007

    Louise commented on this recipe

    Also the gravy recipe just didn't work at all, far too much cream, there were several oh so funny jokes about passing the turkey custard!

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  • Binder photo Gbobs

    06 March 2008

    Gbobs rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I made this for our Xmas dinner it was fantastic and everyone loved it. I made more stuffing than was mentioned in the receipe and had some in a bowl as extra. Didnt do the gravy made my own def wouldnt put cream in a gravy too rich with everything else that is going on with an Xmas dinner! It was absolutely delicious made in advance and froze so that only needed to cook it on the day. Will defintely make again really stunner on the plate!

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  • Binder photo Adrian

    19 December 2008

    Adrian commented on this recipe

    I cooked this yas year (2007) It was easy prepared beforehand and cooked on the day. Everyone enjoyed it and have asked for it again this year (2008)

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  • Binder photo nicnaknoonah

    09 October 2009

    nicnaknoonah rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This was really tasty, halved the ingredients and used chicken instead didnt make the gravy thought it would be too rich. I will definately be making this again and will be making it for christmas dinner as its easy to make and stress free!

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  • Binder photo Rima

    13 December 2009

    Rima rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I used half of the ingridients. Wery tasty. Good for festive dinner.

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  • Binder photo S.J.A.

    27 December 2009

    S.J.A. rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo Whitester.

    15 March 2010

    Whitester. rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo Elizabeth

    26 March 2010

    Elizabeth rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo pipster

    29 September 2010

    pipster commented on this recipe

    I used this recipe at work with a few alterations and it woorked very well it made a nice summer main meal for a resturant. one trick is to prick the joint and rub butter into it before roasting keeps the meat suculent.

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  • Binder photo Evelyn

    26 December 2010

    Evelyn rated and commented on this recipe

    3 stars

    We had this for our Christmas lunch. I prepared it about 3 weeks beforehand and put it in the freezer to reduce the workload. I found it quite hard to tie up without the filling falling out and I couldn't get my version to look anything like the picture! It tasted fine, if you're a turkey lover, but I will probably not do this recipe again and I found the preparation too fiddley and the result didn't look very neat!

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  • Binder photo Coughkar

    05 January 2011

    Coughkar commented on this recipe

    This really is a delicious dish. Easy enough to make. Praise heaped from all sides. Used brown rice instead of pine nuts due to allergies. Stuffing was really tasty. Definitely would recommend.

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  • Binder photo Coughkar

    05 January 2011

    Coughkar rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Forgot to rate it. 5 stars all the way.

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  • Binder photo chrisgalea

    09 January 2011

    chrisgalea rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Very tasty and the turkey did not dry out. I did add cream to the gravy and it was still good. Will def do again

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  • Binder photo Maternal Fugg

    03 October 2011

    Maternal Fugg commented on this recipe

    I made this for Sunday lunch this week. We were 15 so I did 2 joints - it was delicious and i got lots of positive comments. I think i will make a pie with the leftovers!

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  • Binder photo Val

    15 December 2011

    Val commented on this recipe

    Can the stuffing be cooked separately. ?

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  • Binder photo maurela

    30 December 2011

    maurela rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Had ordered a turkey crown about 2 months ago and when we went to collect it on Wednesday before Christmas, I was faced with turkey breasts. I was very disappointed and couldn't think what to do. I put turkey breast into the search engine and came up with this recipe. What a life-saver. It looked just like the picture and sliced perfectly. The taste was superb. Thank you

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  • Binder photo Liz

    20 October 2012

    Liz commented on this recipe

    I made this for Christmas last year, but instead of the pine nut stuffing used the recipe for "cranberry & sausagemeat" stuffing (minus the chestnuts). It was delicious.

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  • Binder photo Liz

    20 October 2012

    Liz rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo Lyndsey

    17 December 2012

    Lyndsey rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Made this a couple of years ago and thought I would do it again and this time have done more stuffing it was well received last time so hopefully will be this time serving it early February so it is now in the freezer

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 6-8, plus leftovers

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 30 mins

Cook time

Cook 2 hrs

Freezable

Can be frozen uncooked

Makes carving a breeze

Ingredients

  • butter , for greasing
  • 20 rashers pancetta (2 x 70g/2oz packs) or thinly sliced streaky bacon
  • 3kg 104 oz butterflied turkeys breast (see know-how below)

FOR THE STUFFING

FOR THE GRAVY

  • 300ml dry white wine
  • 300ml chicken stock
  • 142ml pot double cream
  • handful flat-leaf parsley , roughly chopped
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850 kcalories, protein 96g, carbohydrate 18.6g, fat 43.5 g, saturated fat 16.2g, fibre 1g, sugar 6g, salt 2.96 g

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