Make your Australian Christmas spread complete with this juicy turkey breast with lots of gravy. Brining the turkey breast first ensures it's ultra moist and full of flavour throughout.
Prep 20 minutes, plus brining timeCook 1 hour 20 minutes, plus resting timeServes 8
Ingredients
Method
Brine
3 fresh bay leaves
60g brown sugar
100g fine salt
A few fresh thyme sprigs
1 tsp black peppercorns, crushed
3 garlic cloves, smashed
1 skin-on turkey breast, around 2kg
Turkey
125g Western Star Spreadable
6 cloves garlic, smashed
A few fresh thyme sprigs
1 tbsp plain flour
100ml white wine
200ml chicken stock
Juice of ½ a lemon
Green vegetables, grilled lemon and fresh thyme sprigs, to serve
Brine
To make the brine, place all of the ingredients into a small pan with ½ litre water. Set over a medium high heat and cook until the sugar and salt dissolve. Set aside and allow to cool
Pour the brine into a large, non-reactive container or bowl. Add 1 ½ litres of cold water and stir to combine. Place the turkey into the brine and top with a plate to submerge it. Cover and refrigerate for 12–24 hours
Turkey
Preheat oven to 180°C. Remove the turkey from the brine. Rinse and pat dry well with kitchen paper
To cook the turkey, place a large, heavy-based frying pan over a medium high heat. Add half of the Western Star Spreadable to the pan and allow it to start bubbling. Add the turkey, skin side down. Cook for 4 minutes or until nicely browned. Repeat on all sides until evenly coloured
Transfer to a heavy-based roasting pan that fits the turkey snugly. Keep the frying pan and its buttery juices for later. Roast for 1 hour or until cooked through and reaching 74°C on a meat thermometer. If the base starts to brown too much during cooking, add a few tablespoons of water to the pan. You want some juice there, but don’t want it to burn. Set aside to rest for 20 minutes
For the gravy, place the used frying pan over a medium heat and add the garlic, thyme and remaining Western Star Spreadable. Stir until caramel coloured and frothing. Add the flour and cook for a minute while stirring. Add the wine and allow it to reduce for a few seconds, then add the stock. Tip in the pan juices from the rested turkey and stir until combined
Take the gravy off the heat and add a squeeze of lemon juice to taste. Remove the garlic and thyme and transfer to a warmed jug
Slice the turkey and place on a warm platter. Place the greens and lemon around and sprinkle with a few thyme sprigs. Spoon some of the gravy on top and serve the remainder separately
