Sous Vide Turkey Breast with Crispy Skin
J. Kenji Lopez-Alt
SeriousEats.com
1 large, whole skin-on bone-in turkey breast, about 5 pounds / 2.2 kg
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, roughly chopped
1 large carrot, peeled, roughly chopped
2 ribs celery, roughly chopped
1 1/2 qts / 1.4L homemade or canned low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 tsp / 5ml soy sauce
3 Tbsp / 45g unsalted butter
1/4 cup / 40g flour
Carefully remove turkey skin in a single piece and set aside. Using a sharp boning knife, remove the breast meat from the breastbone. Set breastbone aside. Place 1 breast half, cut side facing up, on a clean work surface. Place the second beast half, cut side facing down, with the fat end aligning with the skinny end of the first half. Gently form into an even cylinder and tie at 1-inch intervals with butcher's twine. Transfer to a heavy duty zipper-lock bag. Turkey can be refrigerated for up to 5 days before proceeding.
Prepare a sous vide water bath to 145°F / 63°C or to desired temperature according to the chart below. With the bag open, slowly lower the bagged turkey into water, letting water pressure squeeze air out of the bag until just the seal remains above the waterline. Seal bag completely. Let turkey cook for 2 1/2 hours, or according to the chart below. Meanwhile, prepare the crispy skin and gravy.
Preheat oven to 400°F / 204°C and set rack in the center position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment, and spread the skin out evenly on the sheet. Season generously with salt and pepper. Place a second sheet of parchment on top and carefully squeeze out any air bubbles with the side of your hand. Place a second rimmed baking sheet on top and transfer to the hot oven.
Roast until skin is deep brown and crisp, about 30 - 45 minutes. It will crisp further upon cooling. Allow to cool and set aside at room temperature. Turkey skin can be roasted in advance, cooled completely, then stored loosely covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. To re-crisp, place in a hot oven for a few minutes just before serving.
Chop breastbone into 1 inch chunks with a cleaver. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over high heat until smoking. Add breastbone, onion, carrot and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, about 10 minutes total. Add stock, bay leaves and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 1 hour, then strain through a fine-mesh strainer. This should be a little over 1 quart of fortified stock. If not, add additional stock or water to equal 1 quart. Discard solids and set stock aside.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring occasionally until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Whisking constantly, add fortified broth in a thin, steady stream. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until thickened and reduced to about 3 cups. Season to taste with salt and pepper, keep warm.
When turkey is cooked, remove from the sous vide and unseal. Carefully cut off the butcher's twine and slice into 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick slices for serving. Serve on a warmed serving platter along with a pitcher of gravy. Break crispy skin into service-sized pieces and pass separately.
Note: Before tying the breast halves together, lightly salt the cut sides. This will help the halves adhere together better when slicing.
SeriousEats.com
1 large, whole skin-on bone-in turkey breast, about 5 pounds / 2.2 kg
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, roughly chopped
1 large carrot, peeled, roughly chopped
2 ribs celery, roughly chopped
1 1/2 qts / 1.4L homemade or canned low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 tsp / 5ml soy sauce
3 Tbsp / 45g unsalted butter
1/4 cup / 40g flour
Carefully remove turkey skin in a single piece and set aside. Using a sharp boning knife, remove the breast meat from the breastbone. Set breastbone aside. Place 1 breast half, cut side facing up, on a clean work surface. Place the second beast half, cut side facing down, with the fat end aligning with the skinny end of the first half. Gently form into an even cylinder and tie at 1-inch intervals with butcher's twine. Transfer to a heavy duty zipper-lock bag. Turkey can be refrigerated for up to 5 days before proceeding.
Prepare a sous vide water bath to 145°F / 63°C or to desired temperature according to the chart below. With the bag open, slowly lower the bagged turkey into water, letting water pressure squeeze air out of the bag until just the seal remains above the waterline. Seal bag completely. Let turkey cook for 2 1/2 hours, or according to the chart below. Meanwhile, prepare the crispy skin and gravy.
Preheat oven to 400°F / 204°C and set rack in the center position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment, and spread the skin out evenly on the sheet. Season generously with salt and pepper. Place a second sheet of parchment on top and carefully squeeze out any air bubbles with the side of your hand. Place a second rimmed baking sheet on top and transfer to the hot oven.
Roast until skin is deep brown and crisp, about 30 - 45 minutes. It will crisp further upon cooling. Allow to cool and set aside at room temperature. Turkey skin can be roasted in advance, cooled completely, then stored loosely covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. To re-crisp, place in a hot oven for a few minutes just before serving.
Chop breastbone into 1 inch chunks with a cleaver. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over high heat until smoking. Add breastbone, onion, carrot and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, about 10 minutes total. Add stock, bay leaves and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 1 hour, then strain through a fine-mesh strainer. This should be a little over 1 quart of fortified stock. If not, add additional stock or water to equal 1 quart. Discard solids and set stock aside.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring occasionally until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Whisking constantly, add fortified broth in a thin, steady stream. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until thickened and reduced to about 3 cups. Season to taste with salt and pepper, keep warm.
When turkey is cooked, remove from the sous vide and unseal. Carefully cut off the butcher's twine and slice into 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick slices for serving. Serve on a warmed serving platter along with a pitcher of gravy. Break crispy skin into service-sized pieces and pass separately.
Final Result
|
Bath Temp
|
Core temp
|
Approx Total Cook Time
|
Very pink, soft, extra moist
|
132°F / 56°C
|
130°F / 55°C
|
4 hours
|
Pale pink, soft, moist
|
138°F / 59°C
|
136°F / 58°C
|
3 hours
|
White, tender, moist
|
145°F / 63°C
|
143°F / 62°C
|
2 ½ hours
|
White, traditional roast texture
|
152°F / 67°C
|
150°F / 66°C
|
2 hours
|
Note: Before tying the breast halves together, lightly salt the cut sides. This will help the halves adhere together better when slicing.
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