Shelly's Recipe

TURKEY BREAST A LA PORKETTA WITH ITALIAN STYLE BREAD STUFFING

Category: Turkey

1 2-1/2- to 3-lb. boneless turkey breast half with skin
2 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto or cooked ham
3 Tbsp. snipped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
3/4 tsp. paprika
3/4 tsp. dried Italian seasoning, crushed
3/4 tsp. lemon-pepper seasoning or coarsely ground black pepper
3/4 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed
3/4 tsp. snipped fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
3/4 tsp. snipped fresh sage or 1/2 teaspoon dried sage, crushed
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/8 tsp. salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Italian-Style Bread Stuffing (recipe follows) (optional)

Remove skin from turkey in 1 piece; set aside. Place breast half, skinned side down, on plastic wrap. Cover with plastic wrap. Pound with the flat side of a meat mallet to a rectangle with an even 1/2--nch thickness.

To stuff, arrange prosciutto or ham on top of turkey. In a small bowl, combine parsley, paprika, Italian seasoning, lemon-pepper, fennel seeds, rosemary, sage, onion powder, salt and garlic. Spoon and spread parsley mixture evenly onto prosciutto or ham. Starting from a long side, roll up turkey and stuffing. Lay skin over turkey; tuck under. Tie with clean 100 percent cotton kitchen string.

Place turkey roll on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Brush oil over entire turkey roll. Insert a meat thermometer into center of the turkey roll. Roast, uncovered, in a 375 degree F oven for 1 to 1-1/4 hours or until thermometer registers 170 degrees F and turkey is no longer pink. Brush with pan juices halfway through roasting. Cover with foil and let stand for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing. Transfer turkey to a cutting board. To serve, cut into 3/4- to 1-inch slices and serve with Italian-Style Bread Stuffing, if you like. Makes 8 servings.

Italian-Style Bread Stuffing
12 cups 3/4-inch cubes Italian or French bread (about a 1-pound loaf)
1/2 cup pine nuts or chopped pecans
Nonstick cooking spray
1 large bulb fennel with tops or 1-1/2 cups chopped celery (3 stalks)
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup butter
1 cup drained and pitted kalamata or ripe olives, halved lengthwise
2 oz. thinly sliced Genoa salami, prosciutto or cooked ham, cut into thin strips or coarsely chopped (1/2 cup) (optional)
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning, crushed
1 tsp. snipped fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1 tsp. snipped fresh sage or 1/2 teaspoon dried sage, crushed
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp. lemon-pepper seasoning or coarsely ground black pepper
1 14-oz. can chicken broth

In a large shallow roasting pan, combine bread cubes and pine nuts. Bake in a 350 degree F oven about 20 minutes or until bread cubes are crisp and pine nuts are lightly browned, tossing once. Set aside to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

Meanwhile, lightly coat a 13x9x2-inch baking pan or a 3-quart rectangular baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.

Remove green leafy tops from fennel; snip enough of the tops to measure 1/4 cup. (If using celery, add 1/4 cup snipped fresh Italian (flat leaf) parsley). Set aside. Cut off and discard upper stalks. Remove any wilted outer layers and cut a thin slice from the fennel base. Cut fennel bulb into wedges, removing the core. Coarsely chop fennel (should have about 1-1/2 cups).

In a large skillet, cook fennel or celery and onion in hot butter over medium heat about 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in olives, salami (if you like), snipped fennel tops or parsley, Italian seasoning, rosemary, sage, garlic, and lemon-pepper seasoning.

Place fennel mixture in a very large bowl. Stir in bread cubes and pine nuts. Drizzle with enough of the broth (1-1/2 to 1-3/4 cups) to moisten; toss gently to coat. Transfer mixture prepared baking pan. Bake, covered, in the 325 degree F oven for 45 minutes. Uncover; bake about 15 minutes more or until the stuffing is heated through. Makes 12 servings.