Turkey Roulade with Peach and Sage Gravy is something very special about a roulade and it’s not as hard as it looks. If you’re in the mood for something different

during the holiday season and feel like cooking outdoors, you just may want to try this. Just keep in mind that the trick is to properly flatten the turkey breast before you stuff, roll, and tie it.

Ingredients 

Serves 6-8

4 quarts water

1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

3⁄4 cup kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

the roulade

One 7-pound whole turkey breast, skin on,

deboned (see Note)

4 cups coarse fresh breadcrumbs (from a loaf of

French or Italian bread)

8 ounces bacon, chopped and cooked until crisp,

fat reserved (or substitute olive oil)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

1⁄2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon E meril’s Original Essence or Creole Seasoning,

plus more for seasoning before grilling

1⁄4 cup olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Peach and Sage Gravy

Method 

1. Combine the water, brown sugar, and kosher salt in a 2-gallon or larger stockpot or other nonreactive container, and whisk until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Place the turkey breast in the stockpot and refrigerate for 8 hours.

2. Remove the turkey breast from the brine, and pat it dry with paper towels. (At this point you can proceed with the recipe or refrigerate the turkey up to 1 day until ready to cook.)

3. Preheat a grill to low.

4. Cut three lengths of kitchen twine to 32 inches, and lay them across a cutting board. Making sure the skin is pulled down to cover as much of the breast meat as possible, lay the turkey breast, skin side down, on top of the strings. Cover the turkey with parchment paper or plastic wrap, and pound it with a heavy mallet or the bottom of a cast-iron skillet until the thickest part of the breast is no more than 2 inches thick.

5. In a large mixing bowl, use a rubber spatula to combine the breadcrumbs, bacon, 1 ⁄4 cup reserved bacon fat, butter, garlic, parsley, and Original Essence.

6. Lightly season the turkey breast with Original Essence. Pack the stuffing mixture tightly into a 1-cup measure, and then empty the stuffing onto the middle of the breast. Repeat this two more times. Roll the breast up as tightly as you can to form a cylinder, and use the twine to tie the breast together in three places. Snip off any extra length of twine. (You can also tie a piece of twine vertically around the breast, tucking in the flaps at the end, if you find this is necessary to keep the stuffing inside.) Brush the olive oil all over the roulade, and season it lightly with Original Essence, kosher salt, and pepper.

7. Place the turkey roulade, seam side up, onto the coolest part of the grill. Close the grill cover and cook for 30 minutes. Rotate the roulade 90 degrees and cook for another 15 minutes. Then turn the roulade over and cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees when tested with an instant-read thermometer. Remove the turkey from the grill and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving.

8. Remove the strings and slice the roulade crosswise into 1⁄2- inch-thick slices. Serve with the Peach and Sage Gravy.

Notes 

If you do not feel comfortable deboning a skin-on turkey breast, kindly ask a butcher to do it for you.

For the Peach and Sage Gravy

Makes about 3 cups

This simple gravy is made with peach preserves, so you

can enjoy it even when peaches are not in season,

making this a year-round dish.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1⁄4 cup finely minced shallots

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1⁄2 cup white wine vinegar

4 cups turkey stock, chicken stock,

or canned low-sodium chicken broth

3⁄4 cup peach preserves

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1⁄4 teaspoons salt

3⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1⁄3 cup fresh sage leaves

1. Set a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the shallots and garlic and sauté, stirring often, until the shallots are fragrant and lightly caramelized, about 1 minute. Add the white wine vinegar and cook until it is nearly completely reduced, about 1 minute. Add the stock and preserves, and raise the heat to high.

2. While the stock is coming to a boil, combine the butter and flour in a small bowl, and using the back of a spoon, blend to form a smooth paste.

3. Add the butter-flour paste to the stock, and use a whisk to stir it in, making sure that it is well incorporated. Bring the gravy to a boil, season it with the salt and pepper, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the gravy has reduced by one quarter, about 20 minutes.

4. Remove the pan from the heat and add the sage leaves to the gravy. Allow the flavors to steep for about 3 minutes, and then strain the gravy. Serve the gravy with slices of the turkey roulade.