Pan Roasted Turkey Breast w/ Gravy

SERVES 2

If using kosher or self-basting turkey, do not brine. If brining the turkey, do not season with salt in step 1. Often, boneless turkey breast halves are sold in elastic netting; be sure to remove the netting before brining or cooking. You can substitute a single 4 to 4½-pound boneless turkey breast here but you will need to increase the roasting time to about 1½ hours.

2 (2-pound) boneless turkey breast halves (see note) trimmed, tied, and brined if desired
Salt and pepper
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 onion chopped (about 1 cup)
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups low-sodium beef broth

    1.    Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Pat the turkey breasts dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a 12-inch oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Carefully lay the turkey breasts in the skillet and cook until well browned on all sides, about 10 minutes, turning as needed and reducing the heat if the pan begins to scorch. Transfer the turkey breasts to a plate.
    2.    Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet and return to medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, carrot, and celery, and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened and browned lightly, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, thyme, and bay leaf and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
    3.    Lay the turkey breasts, skin-side up, on top of the vegetables. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until the thickest part of the breasts registers 160 to 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 50 to 60 minutes.
    4.    Using potholders (the skillet handle will be hot), remove the skillet from the oven. Transfer the turkey breasts to a carving board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest while making the gravy.
    5.    Being careful of the hot skillet handle, return the skillet to medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until well browned, about 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in the broths, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until the gravy has thickend and reduced to about 3 cups, 30 to 35 minutes.
    6.    Strain the gravy through a fine-mesh strainer and season with salt and pepper to taste. (To make White Turkey Chili, reserve 1¼ pounds of the turkey breasts and refrigerate in a separate airtight container for up to 3 days.) Remove the twine, cut the turey breasts crosswise into ¼-inch-thick slices, and serve with the gravy.

Greek Chicken & Rice Soup

long-grain rice, 1 cup
chicken broth or stock, 3 cups (chopped)
skinless, boneless chicken thighs or breasts, about 1½ lb
cornstarch (cornflour), 1 tsp
egg yolks, 3
lemon juice, from ½ lemon
salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Cook the rice and chicken.
Prepare the rice according to the package directions and set aside. Meanwhile, in a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the broth to a simmer. Add the chicken, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is opaque throughout, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

2. Make the lemon-egg mixture.
In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water until combined. In a small saucepan over low heat, whisk together the egg yolks and lemon juice. When the egg yolk mixture is just warm, whisk in the cornstarch mixture and then 1 cup of the warm broth. Raise the heat to medium and continue to whisk until a thick sauce has formed, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Finish the soup.
Return the pan holding the broth and chicken to medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add the lemon-egg mixture while whisking constantly; the soup will thicken slightly. Stir in the rice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

SERVES 4

Conclusion: This was a really quick recipe to make, and probably really easy, too, if you know how to cook. I certainly would have fucked this sideways if I hadn't had Sam around to advise me. Even though I didn't think chop up the chicken before cooking (because the recipe says nothing about that part), and tried to cook it in a pot without enough broth, Sam was able to undo any damage I may have caused. I would definitely recommend using less chicken then it asks for, but I usually feel that way about most recipes. Either way, it turned out DELICIOUS and I'm sure it will be even better next time.