Ingredients

• Turkey:
  • 1 whole bone-in, skin-on turkey breast (7–8 lbs)
• Herb Paste:
  • 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
  • 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
  • ¼ cup fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh sage leaves, chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh thyme leaves
  • 6 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• For Roasting:
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preparation Steps

1. Prepare the Herb Paste:

   • Grind fennel seeds and black peppercorns using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle until finely ground.
   • In a food processor, combine the ground spices, rosemary, sage, thyme, garlic, and kosher salt. Pulse until finely chopped.
   • Add olive oil and pulse to form a coarse paste.

2. Prepare the Turkey:

   • Remove the skin from the turkey breast in one piece and set it aside.
   • Debone the turkey breast halves, removing tenderloins, and butterfly them to an even thickness.
   • Rub the herb paste evenly over all sides of the turkey meat.
   • Reassemble the breast halves into a cylindrical shape and wrap the reserved skin around the meat.
   • Tie the roast securely with butcher’s twine at 1-inch intervals.

3. Season and Rest:

   • Sprinkle the exterior of the roast with additional kosher salt.
   • Place the roast on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet.
   • Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours to allow the flavors to meld and the skin to dry slightly.

4. Roast the Turkey Porchetta:

   • Preheat the oven to 275°F (135°C).
   • Brush the roast with melted butter.
   • Roast until the internal temperature reaches 145°F (63°C), approximately 2 to 2½ hours.
   • Increase the oven temperature to 500°F (260°C) and continue roasting until the skin is crisp and the internal temperature reaches 160°F (71°C), about 15 minutes more.

5. Rest and Serve:

   • Remove the roast from the oven and let it rest for 30 minutes.
   • Remove the twine, slice, and serve.