Herb Roasted Turkey Breast with Apple Cranberry Relish
Apple Cranberry Relish – a must for every Thanksgiving table.. With so much savory going on, this slightly sweet mostly tart side dish not only adds balance to our tastebuds, it’s pretty and it’s simple.
Ingredients
- TURKEY -
- Turkey (Breast) - 5-6 lbs
- Butter, softened - 1 stick
- Sage leaves, minced - 1/4 cup
- Finely chopped fresh thyme leaves (plus 3 - 5 more sprigs) - 2 Tbsp
- Garlic, minced - 4 cloves
- Onions, Quartered - 2-3
- RELISH -
- Water - 1/2 cup
- Sugar - 1 cup
- Cranberries, Fresh - 1 lb
- Cinnamon - 1 stick
- SnapDragon, peeled, chopped - 3
- Orange Zest - 1 Tbsp
- Cinnamon, ground - 1 tsp
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 F.
- In a medium bowl, combine butter, sage, thyme leaves, garlic, salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Rinse and pat dry the turkey breast. With your fingers, carefully separate the skin from the meat and spread half the butter mixture beneath the skin directly onto the meat. Spread the remaining butter on top of the skin.
- Place turkey breast, breast side up, on a rack in a roasting pan.
- Season with salt and pepper, top with thyme sprigs, and place onions around the turkey.
- Roast the turkey until the skin is golden and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reaches 165 degrees, 2 - 2.5 hrs.
- Remove from pan and cover it for at least 20 minutes and then slice as needed.
- While the turkey is roasting prepare the relish.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the water, sugar, and cinnamon stick. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
- Add the cranberries. Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the berries have burst, about 15 minutes.
- Remove cinnamon stick.
- Add the orange zest, apples and cinnamon.
- Cook apples until they begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Serve the turkey with a dollop of relish.