I used this recipe for many years, before we started spending Thanksgiving at my daughter’s house and her husband smoked the turkeys. This recipe has its own charms and works well for the turkey breast when you’re not doing the whole bird.
Blast Furnace-Roasted Turkey Breast
This is my go-to recipe when there are only 2-4 people for Thanksgiving. It only takes 1 ½ hours, max (and probably less with just the turkey breast).
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.