This Turkey roulade with Pumpkin & Cranberry stuffing is a fantastic alternative if you don’t fancy roasting a whole turkey, or you’re looking for a creative version of classic turkey.
Pumpkin, cranberries and the major guest star Mr Turkey, combine harmoniously to deliver the most out of both the traditional and gourmet side of this festivity.
A special mention needs to be done to the bacon wrapping of this turkey roulade. Bacon adds a nice crunchy texture and enhance the flavours of the other ingredients. It also protects the meat inside, preventing it to dry out during the cooking time.
To make the roulade you will only need a large turkey breast, some fresh seasonal ingredients, and and it will spare you long hours in the kitchen (and plenty of stress).
You can sit back, enjoy and entertain your guests while delivering to the table a foodelicious beautiful main course.
- For the Pumpkin & Cranberries stuffing:
- 500 gr Pumpkin cleaned and cut into wedges
- Few sprigs of fresh thyme
- Zest of half lemon
- 1 cup dried cranberries chopped
- ½ cup toasted almond flakes
- 1 cup finely cubed ciabatta bread
- 1 shallot finely minced
- 1 garlic clove slightly crashed
- 1 tbsp Extravirgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
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For the stuffing:
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Season the pumpkin wedges with salt, pepper and thyme leaves.
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Arrange on a baking tray, cover with aluminum foil and bake in a pre-heated oven to 350F/180C for about 20 min or until soft.
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While the pumpkin roasts, drizzle with extravirgin olive oil a frying pan over low heat.
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Add garlic and shallots, and gently cook.
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Fold in the leaves of 2 thyme sprigs and cubed ciabatta.
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Gently sauté all ingredients until the bread is golden and crisp.
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Transfer the mixture into a large bowl, add lemon zest, cranberries, sage, almond flakes and the cooked pumpkin.
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Mix all the ingredients until combined and uniform.
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For the Turkey:
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Use a sharp knife to butterfly the turkey breast open and flatten it slightly with a meat tenderizer or a rolling pin covered in plastic wrap. Season with salt and pepper, then spread the stuffing on top evenly.
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Roll the breast up making sure to keep the ends on the downside of the roulade.
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Line bacon slices on parchment paper, slightly overlapping each other. Place the turkey roulade on top.
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Wrap each roulade with 4-6 slices of bacon, tucking the ends under the turkey.
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Arrange roulade on a loaf tin and roast in a preheated oven to 350F, until the internal temperature of the turkey roulade is 155F, about one hour and 30 minutes.
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After the first 15 mins of cooking time, check the bacon wrapping, if it’s nice and crisp, pour the stock in, cover the tin with foil and continue to cook until done.
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Cooking times WILL vary, so be sure to use an instant read meat thermometer and keep an eye on the internal temperature.
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Remove roasting tray from the oven and let turkey rest for about ten minutes.
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Serve alongside salad and your favourite sides.
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