Cooking Lesson #122 Sous Vide Boneless Turkey Breast

Sous Vide Turkey Breast with Asparagus & Homemade Chips

How you doin’? These days I like to keep something at hand in the refrigerator that’s easy to eat without too much fuss and bother. Something that I can just slice or heat in the microwave that takes just a few minutes to finish and plate.  I like to have homemade soup or chili, a small roasted prime rib, cold and crispy fried chicken or a half boneless turkey breast.
 
We’ve discussed the benefits of sous-vide cooking in previously cooking lessons and I hope you have gone online and purchased one that is suitable for your household needs. I have a Chefman sous vide cooker that only costs about $99. After a couple of years of use, I was very happy with it until the spring-loaded handle broke yesterday afternoon. The unit still functions, but better with the right handle. I have already asked for a replacement handle from the company which I hope will arrive soon.
 
Sous vide is a method of cooking in which food is placed in a plastic, sealed pouch or a glass jar under vacuum and cooked in a water bath for longer than usual cooking times at a precisely regulated temperature. The temperature is much lower than usually used for cooking, typically around 130⁰ to 145°F for meats, higher for vegetables. The intent is to cook the food evenly, ensuring that the inside is properly cooked without overcooking the outside, and to retain moisture. It enhances the natural texture of poultry and pork keeping them moist and flavorful. Not only do I use this cooking method in restaurants, but at home nearly every week. It’s great to open the fridge and grab a bag of chicken breasts or pork chops, pop them under the broiler for crisping and re-heating and have a gourmet meal in just minutes—that’s what sous-vide is all about.
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Sous-vide time:  3 to 3-1/2 hours
Finish time:  7 to 10 minutes
Yield: 6 to eight servings
 
Ingredients
1 boneless, skin-on turkey breast half (about 3- to 4-pounds)
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 lemon wheels cut 1/4-inch thick
2 sprigs of fresh basil or rosemary
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
 
Directions

1. Set the sous vide immersion Cooker to 145°F.
2. Season the turkey breast on all sides with the garlic powder, salt and pepper and place in a large vacuum seal bag (like a Foodsaver bag).
3. Place the lemon wheels on top of the skin.
4. Slip the sprigs of basil or rosemary under the lemon wheels.
5. Place the cold butter around the turkey breast.
6. Seal the bag using the water immersion technique or a vacuum sealer.
7. Place in the sous-vide water bath and set the timer for 3 to 3-1/2 hours for a slightly pink center.
8. When the timer goes off, remove the bag from the water bath and immediately plunge it into ice water.
9. Store refrigerated.
10. When ready to serve, remove the turkey breast from the bag and pat dry with paper towels; reserve the butter.
11. Heat broiler for 5 minutes on high heat. Add the turkey breast and butter and sear, skin side up (if oven broiler), until golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes.
12. Let the turkey breast rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

ChefSecret:  Some recipes call for you to sear the turkey breast before the sous vide process; I prefer to crisp the skin after the sous vide cook.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “It’s kind of ironic and hard to believe, when the pandemic first broke that people’s survival instincts told them to grab toilet paper.”
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