Pincushion turkey roast

ingredients

• • 2 kilogram free-range rolled turkey breast roast, at room temperature
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 300 gram sausage meat
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves, plus extra whole leaves to serve
  • 1/2 cup pitted cherries (fresh or preserved)
  • olive oil for roasting

method

• • 1

    Preheat the oven to 190°C. Lay the turkey breast roast out on a work surface, skin-side down. Cut in two down the centre of the breasts. Place between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet to evenly distribute the meat. Season on both sides with salt and pepper.

  • 2

    To make the stuffing, place the sausage meat, chopped sage and cherries in a bowl and mix well to combine. Divide in half. Place one portion of stuffing in the centre of each turkey breast. Bring all the edges together to cover and enclose the stuffing and form a large ball. Use heatproof string to wrap around the balls in a criss-cross pattern, knotting the ends to secure the parcels, which will look like large pincushions.

  • 3

    Place the turkey pincushions in a roasting pan, drizzle with a little olive oil and roast for 40-45 minutes or until a thin sharp knife inserted into the centre comes out hot, indicating the turkey is cooked. Remove to rest, covered loosely with foil, for 10 minutes before carving. Serve slices with juices from pan.

notes

• It’s important to bring the turkey meat to room temperature before roasting so the meat cooks evenly. With cold meat, the outside will cook faster than the centre, which is insulated. - You can use chicken breast instead of turkey in this recipe if you prefer. Just keep in mind that turkey breasts are much larger than chicken breasts, so factor that in when deciding how much to buy. - PER SERVE Energy 504kcal, 2110kj • Protein 79g • Total Fat 17.9g • Saturated Fat 6g • Carbohydrate 4.6g • Fibre 1.5g • Sodium 823mg