Turkey Ballotine. Traditionally a ballotine is a French term for a boned poultry thigh which is then stuffed before cooking.In fact, the French seem to like stuffing most things and you can often buy really good sausagemeat, or farcie with fresh herbs and seasonings. I remember a horrendously complicated recipe involving deboning a whole turkey and stuffing it with a forcemeat studded with pistachios. My version is a lot different as it uses a turkey breast, which is an affordable piece of meat in France. It easily feeds four people for a Christmas dinner, can be prepared in advance and is great both hot or cold as it slices well without falling apart.
Start by making the forcemeat. Fry finely chopped shallots in butter and combine with dried cranberries, chestnuts, sage and pork sausagemeat. Pistachios, walnuts or dried apricots would also work well.
Open out the fillet from the breast and cut a slit at the other end. Make the forcemeat into a sausage.
Roll up the turkey and use string to secure.
Roast for 40 minutes then remove the string and wrap with streaky bacon and cook for another 30 minutes or until the juices run clear.
Leave the ballotine to rest for about twenty minutes before carving.
So here's my easy version of turkey ballotine that won't break the bank at Christmas. Let me know what you think and what ingredients you put in your stuffing.
Ingredients
- 1 kg turkey breast
- 2 tbsp butter
- 250 g pork sausagemeat
- 2 finely chopped shallots
- 60 g peeled and chopped chestnuts
- seasoning
- 60 g dried cranberries
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped sage
Instructions
- Heat half the butter in a small pan and soften the shallots.
- Combine the shallots, seasoning,cranberries, chestnuts, sage with the sausagemeat and shape into a sausage.
- Open out the fillet from the breast and lengthen the flap.
- Roll up the turkey and secure with string.
- Melt the remaining butter, spread on the turkey and season before roasting at 180 degrees C for 40 minutes.
- Remove string, garnish with bacon and roast for a further 30 minutes.
- Let the joint rest for 20 minutes before carving.
Nutrition
Thanks so much Lauren.
Thanks Paula. Simple is good in the busy season!
Thanks Aimee. I love a frugal recipe, especially at this time of year.
I was thinking the same as I started to read, about those old ballotine recipes that were so complicated. Thank you for making such an easy version of it! I'm dying to try it this holiday season. Thanks for sharing!
I am always looking for new ways to make turkey. This sounds delicious - that stuffing is perfect!
I love how you made this recipe much simpler and more affordable. This time of year I stay away from complicated recipes, but that doesn't mean I want to scrimp on taste or quality. This is perfect for serving guests!
I guess it all depends on what ingredients you have available. In the UK I could never buy a plain turkey breast, it was always something processed. There is little processed food in France which is great but it means that there are no lazy nights either! I love knowing what different foods are available in different countries. I suppose we all envy each other?
Thanks Mimi. I'm glad the pictures did it justice!
Thanks Mimi. I'm glad the pictures did it justice!
I was horrified at the thought of deboning an entire turkey. Cook, know thyself! That be so far beyond my skills and my neighborhood butcher is no more. A breast, tho, can be bought boneless and suddenly this recipe grew in appeal. Then you wrapped it in bacon and, well, Amanda, I can see I'll be buying a turkey breast in the not-so-distant future. Thanks!
What a beautiful presentation!
I put a cross on the flat side and then boil them for about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat then take out 3 at a time and take the shell off. I wear rubber gloves as it's hot and sharp. If you let them cool you've got no chance! I then freeze them or use them in a couple of days in the fridge. I have at least 2 buckets of them in the store....that's an awful lot of peeling!
How do you peel your chestnuts so well?
Thank you. Sometimes it's difficult to get the pictures to do the food justice!
This is so beautiful--I love pretty food.