Roasted Turkey Breast with Chardonnay Gravy

There are so many large turkeys out there in the supermarket. I just don’t know how people cook those things without drying it out. To roast a bird that size, it’s practically guaranteed to dry out. To combat the dried out bird, I always recommend a smaller bird and brining in advance. Both of these techniques used together make for the most delicious and juicy roasted turkey. 

What exactly is brining anyway? There are actually two types of brining, dry and wet brining. We’re going to focus only on wet brining. In a nutshell, brining allows more moisture to be retained inside the roasted turkey. If we want to get super nerdy about it, the salt dissolves myosin (a muscle protein) in the meat, which prevents it from tightening it. As Serious Eats would describe it, this means “less tightening = less moisture loss = juicier meat.” 

Brining won’t single-handedly save you from a dried-out bird, I also recommend either purchasing a smaller bird or roasting the turkey in its separate parts. My favorite food science textbook from college (On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee – which is a very approachable and practical book for all you food nerds out there!) puts it best when describing the challenges of roasting whole birds, “Perfectionists cut the bird up and roast legs and breasts separately.” Today, I chose just to roast the breast, but you could easily add in a couple of legs to round out the meal and make all the dark meat lovers happy. 

You might be asking, “but doesn’t all that salt make the turkey too salty?” That’s a great question, but keep in mind that not all the salt will end up in the roasted turkey, and I doubt that you’ll be eating the entire bird by yourself in one sitting. If you’re curious about how much salt from brines end up in the foods, Cooks Illustrated has a quick and very informative article on this topic. 

This turkey is all dressed up in a delicious brine complete with chardonnay wine. I used half a bottle in the brine and saved the rest for the gravy (and drinking, let’s be real). The smell was just heavenly. My husband came home while I was cooking and thought I was baking bread. And since we taste through our sense of smell, you know it tasted amazing with herbs, butter, and with a touch of fruit thanks to the wine.

And full disclosure, I want to let you in on a little secret. I actually overcooked this bird. Yep, I didn’t set my probe thermometer (which I love!) like I should have, but guess what? It was still flavorful and super juicy! THAT is the power of smaller turkeys and brining! It’s no-fail! And, frankly, we all could use a no-fail Thanksgiving. Sign up for my newsletter for all the exclusive tips and updates on making the holidays as easy and fun as possible!

P.S. No matter what recipe you use this Thanksgiving, I highly recommend two kitchen tools that are 100% worth the money and will save you lots of frustration during the holidays (and other times of the year!) First, invest in a probe thermometer with a temperature alarm. This will allow you to not worry about how long to set the timer while the bird is in the oven. It also helps protect against any foodborne illness, and you won’t dry out your turkey by repeatedly poking it with a thermometer at random times, letting the juices leak out. You’ll thank me later.
The second tool is a roasting pan with a roasting rack. Life is just so much easier when you can lift your bird out of the rack to pour off the drippings instead of burning yourself while trying to maneuver a 165-degree bird. Again, you’re welcome.

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