Grilled Boneless Turkey Breast Marinated with Sun-Dried Tomato Purée
Serves 4 to 6
I saw an advertisement in a gourmet foods catalog for a marinated boneless turkey breast using sun-dried tomatoes and herbs. It sounded good so I decided to create my own. It is absolutely delicious. The first time I made it, I used my own tomatoes that were dried in a dehydrator. Since then, I have used store-bought sun-dried tomatoes. Even though the turkey takes at least several hours from start to finish because of the marinating process, hands on preparation is easy and minimal. This turkey is good served hot, warm or at room temperature.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 cup boiling water
- 3 large cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dry rubbed sage
- 1-1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 boneless turkey breast, about 2-1/4 pounds, with or without the skin
Place tomatoes in a medium bowl. Add the boiling water. Let set until softened, about 30 minutes. Place in a blender or processor with the garlic, thyme, rosemary, fennel seeds, basil, salt and pepper. Process until relatively smooth. Slowly add the olive oil to emulsify. Place the turkey breast in a shallow dish just large enough to hold it. Pour the tomato purée over it and turn to cover both sides. (You can use a large plastic bag. Place turkey and purée in the bag, seal and turn several times to mix all together.) Cover the dish and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Heat grill on medium-low heat. Remove turkey from dish, brush off excess marinade and discard. Place the turkey on the grill, skin-side down to start. Grill, covered, until done, 30 to 40 minutes depending on thickness, turning every 10 minutes. (See notes below for cooking tips.) Remove from the grill, cover loosely with foil and let rest for 15 minutes before carving and serving.
Notes: If you are using a charcoal grill, cook the turkey over indirect heat. If your turkey breast is very thick, you might want to pound it slightly thinner. Otherwise, increase the amount of time needed to cook. When any cooked food rests, there is carryover cooking time, meaning it continues to cook from its own heat. I remove my turkey breast from the grill or oven when an instant-read thermometer registers between 160° and 165°, cover it with foil and, after the 15 minutes resting time, it is completely cooked and very moist. If you do not have a thermometer, pierce the meat with a sharp knife and, if the juices run clear, not pink, it is done. If grilling outdoors is not an option, the breast can be seared in a grill pan or skillet and placed in a 350° oven for about 1 hour.
No matter where I take my guests, it seems they like my kitchen best.
Pennsylvania Dutch Saying
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