This is my go-to recipe when there are only 2-4 people for Thanksgiving. The recipe is for a whole turkey, but I just use the breast if we’re a small group. It only takes 1 ½ hours, max. If you want to go caveman style with a big drum stick, buy and cook it separately!!! If you want a whole “bird”, cook a capon instead of a turkey, but don’t cook it this way.
Blast Furnace-Roasted Turkey Breast
Servings 0
Ingredients
- 1 turkey breast
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh sage
- 2 tablespoons minced shallots
- 2 tablespoons minced parsley optional
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 4 cups rock salt
Instructions
- Remove and discard giblets and neck from turkey. Rinse turkey under cold water, and pat dry. Trim excess fat from turkey. Starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breast and drumsticks by inserting one hand, palm side down. Gently push hand beneath the skin and against the meat to loosen skin.
- Combine 1 tablespoon salt and the next 6 ingredients (1 tablespoon of salt through pepper) in a bowl; stir well. Rub herb mixture on breast (and drumsticks, if that’s what you’re doing) beneath the skin.
- Spread rock salt in bottom of a shallow roasting pan. Place turkey, breast side up, on rock salt. Insert meat thermometer, making sure it does not touch bone. Bake at 500° for 1 1/2 hours or until thermometer reaches 165°. Cover turkey loosely with aluminum foil; let stand 15 minutes. Discard skin before serving.