Homework

What is your favorite recipe for "Perfect" turkey?

Extra Credit: Add some photos of your turkey breast so I can check it out.

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Cooks: 141°F (60.6°C) for 3 to 8 hours • Serves: 4 to 8

This is my master recipe for "perfect" turkey breast. I use it throughout the year, for Thanksgiving but also for regular meals. It even works great for making turkey lunch meat and you'll never have a better club sandwich than one made from this turkey!

The turkey is simply seasoned with salt, some lemon peel and some sage. It also works well with other woody herbs like thyme and rosemary. Orange peel also works well. If you are planning on presenting this at the table, it is best to put the citrus and sage on the bottom of the turkey breast, that will result in a cleaner presentation.

I prefer 141°F (60.6°C) for my perfect turkey breast though some people prefer a little higher, around 145°F (62.8°C). The turkey only needs to be heated through and pasteurized, but it can benefit from a slightly longer cook and I prefer 6 to 8 hours. You can leave the bones in or remove them. The same is true of the skin, which you can get decently crisp, but for extra-crisp you can remove it and follow the one of the crispy skin recipes later in the book.

The dry-brining stage is not mandatory, but it helps retain a little more moisture. If you plan on brining it, make sure to read the package of your turkey to ensure it wasn't pre-brined already.

Ingredients

For the Sous Vide Turkey Breast

• 2 turkey breasts
• 1 lemon
• 10 fresh sage leaves

Instructions

For the Sous Vide Turkey Breast

Salt the turkey breasts and add to a sous vide bag. Remove the zest from the lemon, using a vegetable peeler or zester and place into the bag on the turkey breasts. Add the sage leaves to the bag then seal it. Ideally, let the turkey sit in the refrigerator for at least 12 to 24 hours for the dry brine to take effect.

Preheat the water bath to 141°F (60.6°C).

Place the sous vide bag in the water bath and cook for 3 to 8 hours, until pasteurized, or tenderized. 

To Assemble

Take the sous vide bag out of the water bath. Remove the turkey breasts from the bag and dry off thoroughly with a paper towel or dish cloth. Quickly sear the turkey, until just browned and the skin begins to get crispy, then remove it from the heat and serve.