Thanksgiving turkey, reimagined with a wild turkey breast.

While wild turkeys don’t lend themselves to consistent outcomes when roasting whole, there’s no reason why you can’t apply the flavors of fall to them for a celebratory presentation. Here we are stuffing a breast with some familiar Thanksgiving flavors–sage, celery, onion–and adding some Italian touches in the form of pine nuts, raisins and lemon to create a familiar centerpiece that still honors the wildness of the bird.

This recipe is also scalable, in that you can make it with a portion of a turkey breast, or the entire breast, minus the small tenderloin running along its underside. Since the turkey breast is pounded thin and rolled around the savory stuffing, you can easily make this a half batch for a smaller crowd or a non-holiday weeknight meal.

Start by pounding the breast thin. Don’t fret too much if there are some holes - these will eventually be sealed in the rolling process. Next, the roast is tied and browned in a pan, then finished off in the oven. For precision, I can’t recommend a remote thermometer enough, as it enables you to cook the turkey breast to exactly the right temperature without opening the oven and constantly checking. While the turkey is in the oven, you’re making an exceptional, and exceptionally simple sauce of slow cooked onion and turkey stock.

The polenta shouldn’t be skipped. Mounted with lots of roasted pumpkin and enriched with fontina cheese, it’s ideal for absorbing the juices from the turkey as well as the onion-rich sauce. Make this an hour before serving and simply keep it warm.

Serve a white wine like the ‘22 Passalacqua Fiano, or a jammy Zinfandel, or both. The sweetness of the raisins, the earthiness of the turkey, pumpkin and cheese, the sage and the celery invite a wide range of pairing options for this, especially if sharing food and bottles with a large group. 

Serves 6-8

The Turkey

1 wild turkey breast, about 2-3 pounds, tenderloin removed, trimmed of visible silverskin 

Salt and pepper

Stuffing

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

Heart, liver and gizzard (cleaned) of 1 wild turkey, finely chopped

1 medium onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

20 fresh sage leaves

½ cup white wine

½ cup heavy cream

1 cup sourdough bread, cut into 1” cubes

1 egg, lightly beaten

½ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

½ cup golden raisins

Sauce

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp olive oil

4 yellow onions, thinly sliced

4 cups turkey or chicken stock

Pumpkin Polenta

1 medium pumpkin (about 2 pounds), roasted in a hot oven, seeds discarded, flesh scooped out and reserved (you should have about 2-3 cups total; use leftover puree for a pie)

4 cups turkey or chicken stock

3 cups milk

2 cups quality polenta

4 tbsp butter

6 ounces Fontina cheese, grated

¼ tsp nutmeg

Salt to taste

Prepare the turkey for stuffing: butterfly the thicker top portion of the turkey breast to make a somewhat evenly shaped and of an even thickness. Lay out a large sheet of plastic wrap and lay the turkey on top, then cover with another sheet of plastic wrap. Gently pound the breast, taking your time, until it is of an even thickness of a little less than ½”. Don’t worry if there are a couple of holes - just try to get it fairly thin and also pretty even. Season to taste with salt and pepper and refrigerate while you make the stuffing.

Make the stuffing: In a medium pot, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the chopped heart, liver and gizzard and cook, stirring often, until they are browned, about 4 minutes. Add the onion, celery and sage leaves and cook for another 5 minutes, until tender and aromatic. Add the white wine and cook until almost completely reduced, about 4 more minutes, then remove from the heat.

In a large bowl, combine the cooked giblets and vegetables with the cream, bread, eggs, pine nuts and raisins. Mix very well, squeezing the bread with your hands to fully soak the stuffing. Allow to sit for 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spread this filling over the pounded breast, leaving a 2” border around the entire cut. Roll this up into a large pinwheel.

Cut about a dozen foot-long lengths of butcher’s twine. Tie one end of the stuffed turkey tightly, then tie the other end. Use the remaining twine to tie the breast at about 2” intervals. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

In a pan large enough to hold the entire turkey breast, heat the olive oil and butter over medium-high heat.

Brown the rolled breast well, turning as needed, until it is deeply browned on all sides, about 10-15 minutes. Remove the turkey from the pan and add the sliced onions, turning the heat down to medium. Cook these, stirring often, until deeply browned and tender, about 10 minutes. Add the stock and the rolled breast and insert a digital thermometer into the thickest part of the turkey. Place the pan in the oven, uncovered.

Roast for 20 minutes, then turn the turkey. Continue to cook until the thermometer registers 150°F, then immediately remove from the oven. Remove the breast and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.

While the turkey is roasting, bring the stock and milk for the polenta to a simmer. Add the polenta in a steady stream, whisking constantly, until incorporated. Cook the polenta, stirring often, until thickened, creamy and soft, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the pumpkin, Fontina, butter and nutmeg. Season to taste with salt.

Remove the turkey from the pan and bring the sauce to a simmer. Reduce until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes, then check the seasoning.

Remove the twine from the turkey and slice into ½” thick slices with a sharp knife (serrated works great here). Turn the polenta out onto a large platter. Lay these slices over the polenta and then spoon the sauce over everything.