Herb-Butter Roasted Turkey Breast with Cranberry-Orange Sauce

Name: Herb-Butter Roasted Turkey Breast with Cranberry-Orange Sauce
Cook time: 80 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 1800 g turkey breast bone-in or boneless, patted dry; 85 g unsalted butter softened; 15 ml olive oil; 12 g garlic finely grated or minced; 8 g fresh sage finely chopped; 4 g fresh thyme leaves picked from stems; 6 g fresh parsley finely chopped; 2 g lemon zest finely grated; 10 g kosher salt; 3 g black pepper freshly ground; 2 g fresh rosemary finely chopped; 340 g fresh or frozen cranberries; 180 ml orange juice freshly squeezed if possible; 4 g orange zest finely grated; 50 g light brown sugar; 60 ml water; 15 ml apple cider vinegar; 8 g cornstarch mixed with a small splash of the sauce liquid before thickening; 4 g kosher salt; 1 g black pepper freshly ground

This Thanksgiving main uses a whole turkey breast coated with herb butter for browned skin and juicy meat, then served with a cranberry-orange sauce made on the stovetop. The result is a classic roast profile with a tart, glossy sauce that cuts through the richness.

By Julienne

Herb-Butter Roasted Turkey Breast with Cranberry-Orange Sauce

Cook time: 80 minutes

Servings: 8

Ingredients

1800 g turkey breast bone-in or boneless, patted dry
85 g unsalted butter softened
15 ml olive oil
12 g garlic finely grated or minced
8 g fresh sage finely chopped
4 g fresh thyme leaves picked from stems
6 g fresh parsley finely chopped
2 g lemon zest finely grated
10 g kosher salt
3 g black pepper freshly ground
2 g fresh rosemary finely chopped
340 g fresh or frozen cranberries
180 ml orange juice freshly squeezed if possible
4 g orange zest finely grated
50 g light brown sugar
60 ml water
15 ml apple cider vinegar
8 g cornstarch mixed with a small splash of the sauce liquid before thickening
4 g kosher salt
1 g black pepper freshly ground

Instructions

Heat the oven to 220 C. Position a rack in the lower-middle of the oven. Pat the turkey breast very dry and place it on a rimmed baking sheet or in a roasting pan. If the turkey breast has skin, loosen the skin gently with your fingers without tearing it. The turkey surface is dry and ready for seasoning.
Mix the softened butter, olive oil, garlic, sage, thyme, parsley, lemon zest, 10 g of the kosher salt, 3 g of the black pepper, and the optional rosemary into a paste. Rub about two-thirds of the herb butter under the skin if the breast has skin, then spread the remaining butter all over the outside. The turkey is evenly coated with herb butter.
Roast for 20 minutes to brown the exterior, then reduce the oven temperature to 175 C and continue roasting, basting once with pan juices halfway through if available. The skin is deeply golden and some butter has melted into the pan.
While the turkey roasts, combine the cranberries, orange juice, orange zest, brown sugar, water, and apple cider vinegar in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then cook 8 to 10 minutes until the cranberries have burst and the sauce looks glossy. Most cranberries have burst and the sauce has thickened slightly.
Stir the cornstarch with 15 ml of the hot cranberry sauce, then return it to the pan and simmer 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce lightly coats a spoon. Taste and adjust with the remaining 4 g salt and 1 g black pepper. The sauce is glossy and lightly thickened, not pasty.
Continue roasting the turkey until an instant-read thermometer reads 74 C in the thickest part of the breast and the juices run clear. Start checking after about 50 more minutes for a boneless breast, or 60 to 70 more minutes for a bone-in breast. The thermometer reads 74 C at the thickest point.
Transfer the turkey to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and rest for 15 minutes. Carve across the grain and serve with the cranberry-orange sauce spooned over or alongside. The sliced turkey is juicy and the sauce is spoonable.