Stuffed with a filling of sausage, spinach, onions and dried cranberries, this dish is a nice alternative to roasting a whole turkey. Serve with your selection of favorite vegetable side dishes for a complete menu worthy of guests. It is not difficult to remove the bone and butterfly a turkey breast but ask your butcher to do this for you if you are unsure.
1 (4 Pound) Turkey Breast Boned
Salt & Pepper
1 (10 oz.) Package Fresh Spinach
1 Small Onion, Finely Diced
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
Salt & Pepper to Taste
3/4 Pound Sweet Italian Sausages
1/2 Cup Dried Cranberries
3 Teaspoons Crushed Fennel Seeds
1 1/2 Cups Chicken or Turkey Broth
1/2 Cup Dry White Wine
2 Tablespoons Flour
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil and saute the onions until they are tender. Add the garlic and cook just until sizzling. Remove the onions and garlic and place them in a bowl. If using baby spinach, use the whole leaf. Otherwise, remove thick stems and veins of larger leaves. Either steam or microwave the spinach until wilted. Squeeze to remove all excess liquid and coarsely chop. Add to the onion mixture. Remove the sausage meat from the casings, and crumble into the bowl with the spinach and onions. Add salt and pepper, half the fennel, and the dried cranberries, and mix well.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butterfly the breast and lay flat open, pounding with a meat mallet to create even thickness throughout. Spread the spinach mixture across the breast, leaving a 1 1/2 inch border all around. Roll up tightly, and tie with kitchen twine. Place into a small roasting pan and rub the surface with the remaining oil, and season with salt and pepper, and the remaining fennel seeds. Mix together the chicken broth and white wine. Roast in the preheated oven for about 1 hour 20 minutes, or until the turkey breast reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees F., basting every 15 minutes with the broth and wine mixture. Remove the breast roll from the pan and cover with a tent of foil.
Remove the pan from the oven, and drain off all the excess oil. Place the pan on your stovetop, and add the remaining white wine broth mixture, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom, and cook until it has reduced by half. Remove a few spoonfuls of the broth to a separate cup, and mix together the flour and broth in the cup, and whisk this mixture into your gravy. Season with salt and pepper and strain through a sieve. Cut off the twine around the turkey, and slice your into 1/2 inch slices and arrange on a platter. Serve, offering a little sauce or gravy on the side.
