So you remember that Truffled Herb Butter we made a little bit ago right?  Well allow me to give you a turkey recipe that will make your eyes close and roll back up in your head while you uncontrollably go “Mmmm mmm MMM!” between bites.

Imagine a Turkey Breast that is juicy, succulent and melts in your mouth.  No really!  I’m not joking it’s possible… take a deep breath and open your mind.  Imagine mingling flavors of herbs, trace hints of earthy aromatic white truffles dancing around with the butter and natural juices of your Turkey.  Now imagine all that goodness spilling out on to carrots, potatoes, leeks… well pretty much any roastable vegetable you want to stick under it.  Now imagine a Turkey Breast that is quick and easy to prepare but tastes like you spent hours and will leave a lasting impression on those who nom it down.  Say it isn’t so?  Well…

Imagine no more and get your roast on.

Truffle & Herb Roasted Turkey Breast

• 1 recipe of Truffled Herb Butter
• 1 split Turkey Breast, bone-in and skin on, washed and patted dry
• 4-5 cups chopped Roasting Vegetables – baby potatoes carrots, onions, leeks, parsnips, celery, etc. cut no more than half inch thick
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Herbs, plucked from stems (I used rosemary, oregano, thyme & sage)
• Olive Oil, for drizzling
• Pinch of Sea Salt

Preheat your oven to 350.  Prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper.  Spread chopped vegetables on the parchment paper, then randomly sprinkle on your whole herbs (if you don’t have fresh you can use dried).  Now drizzle a little Olive Oil onto the vegetables and give them a quick toss to coat.  You do not want to over oil them as the juices of the Turkey will come down and join the party while it roasts.  Set this aside.

Now we move over to the Turkey Breast.  Slide a finger up under the skin to make a pocket, yeah it’s a little icky feeling up under there but it’s worth it.  Now take your Truffled Herb Butter and jam it up under the skin.  Press it around and get it in there really good.  Rub any excess you have on the outside of the skin.  Place the Breast on the vegetables, bone side down and skin side up.  Place in the oven and roast uncovered for 45-55 minutes (depending on the size of your breast).  Remove and let it rest uncovered for 5-10 minutes to let the juices settle.  Remove the bone and slice into portions and serve with the roasted vegetables. Serves 4

***Cook’s Note: You can sub out Chicken Breast and you could certainly use this as a treatment to a whole Chicken, Cornish Game Hen or even holiday Turkey.
You can easily double this recipe, and I would highly suggest it since between 2 people we… well we indulged.  Who am I kidding we could not stop eating this and it left us short for having Roast Turkey sandwiches the next day.
***Additional Note:  You don’t have to have truffles to make the butter, check out the Truffled Herb Butter link for alternative suggestions.

Truffles.  Butter.  Herbs.  Alone these three things are simply beautiful, but put them together and you will be transported to a place where creamy butter flirts with aromatic white truffles and fresh herbs come in to elevate the whole lot for a little taste of Heaven on Earth.

Aren’t truffles freakin’ expensive?!  Well yes, fresh truffles can fetch $200,000 for a White Truffle a little over 2 pounds… BUT there are alternatives out there that don’t require you to squander the kids college fund or take a second mortgage on the house to get yourself in on some of this action.  White Truffle Paste & White Truffle Paté are available and considering how a little goes a long way, they are a good value to enjoy a little decadence on occasion.  And come on… aren’t you worth a little luxury now and again?

So what do they taste like?  They are certainly in the umami class of tastes.  They can be described as meaty, heady and even a little hint of garlic.  If you have ever had a Porchini and you know how heady and aromatic those mushrooms are, well a truffle is that x10.  White Truffles love to be infused in oil, butter, and anything creamy.  They are a beautiful addition to eggs, cheese, potatoes, risotto, chicken or pork.

So what I have concocted is a compound butter infused with fresh herbs and white truffles.  You can make this ahead and freeze it, it will keep beautifully.  It is versatile too.  You can use it to flavor pasta, put it on sliced baguette and toast it for an amazing crostini, top a steak with it, add it in last minute to a white sauce or beurre blanc or you can do what I did and stuff it up under the skin of a turkey breast and roast it.

Truffled Herb Butter

• 4-5 Tablespoons unsalted Butter, room temp
• 2  Tablespoons fresh Herbs, chopped (any variety is fine, I used Rosemary, Sage, Oregano & Tarragon)
• 1/2 Teaspoon White Truffle Paste or 1 large grape-sized fresh White Truffle, shaved with a Microplane grater
• 1/4 Teaspoon ground White or Green Peppercorns
• Pinch of Sea Salt

Place all ingredients into a small bowl and mix together until all ingredients are well incorporated.  Use within 3 days or store in the freezer and slice off as much as you need as you go.

This stuff will add a serious nom factor to whatever you decide to use it for. Once your friends and family taste the creations you make with this sexy little butter they will think you are some kind of culinary genius… yet you can be a culinary newbie and still whip this up with ease.  I’ll be posting a couple recipes for a fancy Grilled Cheese and that infamous Roast Turkey Breast shortly.

***Cook’s Note:  If you don’t have access to or you dislike truffles you can substitute crushed garlic or smashed roasted garlic.  It won’t be the same thing but you will have a pretty delicious Garlic Herb Butter.