Turketta Recipes

PORCHETTA (AUTHENTIC ITALIAN PORK ROAST)

Steps:

• Open the piece of pork onto the butcher paper or clean countertop, skin side down.
• Sprinkle generously with the salt, then work the salt into the pork.
• Next, add the rosemary. We used fresh rosemary as I have a bush in my garden. Rub it and crush it between your fingers to release the oils.Add the freshly ground black pepper all over the porchetta. Now add the fennel pollen. Sprinkle evenly over the pork, but save a little of the pollen for after the porchetta has been rolled.
• Roll it tightly, but as you roll it, sprinkly some salt onto the unseasoned pork. Continue rolling until you reach the end.
• Keeping the seam side down, start tying the pork. Another pair of hands will make this part immensely easier. There's no need for fancy ties or sailors' knots, just wrap, double knot and cut.
• Repeat every few inches. The goal is only to keep the porchetta closed, so don't tie it too tightly, either. As you can see, ours is far from perfect, but unless you're serving the Queen of England, it won't matter.
• Turn the roast seam side up and add more seasonings, including the rest of the fennel pollen to the non-skin parts of the pork which are exposed (including the ends).
• Place seam side down on a rack on a roasting pan or baking tray. Cover the ends with aluminum foil and secure with toothpicks.
• Drizzle with olive oil and rub all over the skin with your hands. Sprinkle with more salt and rosemary.
• Preheat the oven to 400˚F (200˚C).
• Place in the hot oven when it comes to temperature and roast for 1 hour, then lower the temperature to 350°F (170°C) and continue to cook for about another 2 hours. Check the center of the roast when it reaches 170°F (76°C) remove from the oven. Take the foil off the ends and place on top of the porchetta, and allow to rest for about 10 minutes.
• Using a sharp knife, remove one or two of the pieces of twine. Cut into slices and serve on crusty Italian rolls, or bread, Italian style!

PORKETTA ROAST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• In a small bowl, combine the dill seed, fennel seed, oregano, lemon pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Mix well and apply to the roast. Place roast in a 10x15 inch roasting pan.
• Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until internal pork temperature reaches 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).

TURKETTI

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• Break spaghetti into 2-inch pieces. Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the spaghetti, and return to a boil. Cook the spaghetti uncovered, stirring occasionally, until it has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink.
• Combine onion, pimiento, and green pepper with cooked spaghetti, 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, turkey meat, mushroom soup, chicken broth, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Mix lightly and spread the mixture in the baking dish and top with 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese.
• Bake, uncovered, in oven for 45 minutes until the casserole is bubbling and cheese topping is melted and browned.

PORKETTA SEASONING MIX

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir until completely combined.
• Transfer to a spice jar for storage and use in your favorite recipes.

TUSCAN-STYLE TURKEY ALLA PORCHETTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange prosciutto slices vertically side by side on a cutting board, overlapping each by 3/4 inch. Place turkey, skin side down, on the prosciutto slices, with wings at top and legs at bottom. Arrange turkey tenders at each side to fill in the space between the wings and legs.
• Sprinkle turkey with 2 tablespoons salt, including the back side of the tenders and under any other loose pieces of meat. Sprinkle garlic, fennel fronds, fennel seeds, rosemary, sage, and fennel pollen evenly over turkey. Arrange turkey so there are no separations (turkey should be in one even layer).
• Starting from the bottom, roll turkey tightly with prosciutto, keeping prosciutto in place. Tie together with kitchen twine at 3-inch intervals.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Brown rolled turkey on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a roasting rack set on a large rimmed baking sheet or in a roasting pan. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center reaches 165 degrees and juices run clear, about 50 minutes. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with gravy.

PAN-ROASTED TURCHETTA

Steps:

• In a mortar and pestle, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, sage, fennel seeds, thyme, rosemary, 1 tablespoon black pepper, chile flakes and 2 teaspoons salt. Grind and pound the mixture into a smooth paste. Place the turkey breast skin side down on a clean flat surface. With a sharp knife, butterfly the turkey by cutting down the long side of the breast so it can open up like a book to create a large, flat rectangle of even thickness. Score the flesh lightly in a cross-hatch pattern, being careful not to cut too deeply into the flesh. Season the turkey with salt and black pepper. Rub the herb-spice paste into all the cuts on the surface of the turkey breast. Roll the butterflied breast together tightly starting with the side that does not have skin underneath it (that way there is skin on the outer layers when rolling it up). Form the turkey into a cylinder and secure with butcher¿s twine. Tie the roll every 1 1/2 inches, then place in the refrigerator for 4 hours uncovered; this will help the turkey firm up and allows the salt to do a short dry cure on the meat.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Remove the turchetta from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Brush the turchetta with olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. In a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, brown the turchetta, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Arrange the turchetta skin side up and place the whole pan into the oven and cook until the internal temperature reaches 150 degrees F (carryover cooking will increase the temperature as the turchetta rests), about 1 hour 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, place on a large plate, tent with foil and rest 15 to 20 minutes. Add the chicken stock to the reserved juices in the pan and stir to combine. Keep warm.
• To serve the turchetta, remove the string and use a sharp carving knife to slice it into 1-inch-thick medallions. Shingle the slices on a large serving platter, spoon cooking juice over the turchetta, and serve immediately.

TURKETTA

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a small, high-sided saucepan over medium heat. When the butter starts to foam up, drop the heat to low and cook until it reaches 300 degrees F. Fry the parsley, rosemary and sage until bright green and crisp, about 60 seconds. (Be careful: when you add the herbs, there will be splattering.) Strain the butter through a fine-mesh sieve into a heat-safe container and transfer the herbs to a paper towel-lined plate. When cool enough to handle, roughly chop.
• Carefully remove the skin from the turkey breast and lay flat on a piece of parchment paper set inside a sheet pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
• Debone the breast, remove the tenderloins and place the breast smooth-side down. Make a shallow diagonal cut in the thickest part of each lobe to open them up and then score the breast.
• Cover a half sheet pan with plastic wrap, allowing 8 inches of overhang in both directions. Sprinkle the center with 2 teaspoons of kosher salt and 1 teaspoon of maple sugar and place the two breasts, flush together, directly in the center. Cover with plastic wrap and lightly pound to an even thickness. Remove the plastic wrap, realign the breasts if they've separated and brush the scored side with 3 tablespoons of the herb butter. Massage in the chopped herbs and season with 2 teaspoons of kosher salt and 1 tablespoon of maple sugar. Roll the breast into a cylinder and wrap tightly with the plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.
• Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 450 degrees F.
• Remove the plastic from both the skin and the roll. Carefully position the roll on the bottom of the skin. Roll up as tightly as possible, tucking the skin's edges in as you go: we're looking for full coverage here. With the seam-side down, truss the roll with twine at 1-to-2-inch intervals.
• Place the roll on a rack set inside a half sheet pan, brush with 2 tablespoons of the herb butter and season with the remaining teaspoon of salt. Insert a remote probe thermometer into the center of the roll at a 45-degree angle.
• Roast the turkey until the thermometer reads 100 degrees F, about 40 minutes, then baste with an additional 2 tablespoons of herb butter and rotate the pan 180 degrees. Continue to roast until the thermometer hits 150 degrees F, about 20 minutes more. Rest 20 minutes before slicing and serving.