Turkey Roast cranberry port
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
A roast turkey of 2.4 kilos, loaded with rehydrated dried cranberries nestled inside, basted with a port wine reduction and fresh cranberries. Onion and garlic build savory depth with butter and olive oil. The cooking is slow, starting high heat to seal the exterior, then a long lower oven time with broth added gradually. Final sauce made by reducing pan juices with demi-glace and the last cranberries, rich and glossy. Salt and pepper seasoning throughout balances the sweet-tart components. Serve resting after tenting to lock juices. Garnish with pomegranate seeds or fresh sage for pops of color and aroma. Avoid overcooking by checking internal temperature for perfect moistness.
Prep:
25 min
Cook:
Total:
Servings:
10 servings
#turkey
#cranberry
#roast
#French inspired
#port wine
#holiday meal
#slow cooking
Turkey roast. Juicy pockets of tart cranberries bursting as you slice. Port wine creating rich syrupy sauce, sticky and sweet, but layered with savory from onion and garlic sautéed slowly in butter and olive oil. My first tries often dried out the meat. Learned to sear first, seal juices, then slow oven bath in broth keeps moisture. Dried cranberries soaked in port plump up, little surprises inside meat. Fresh cranberries cook down into tangy sweet sauce. Final sauce lifts roast, richness hitting umami with demi-glace. Tent roast after cooking, don’t rush slicing; resting crucial. A hint of pomegranate crowns the dish with jewel-like sparkle. Sage optional but drops herby scent, cuts through richness. Don’t skip the pan sauce, that’s gold.
Ingredients
- 135 ml dried cranberries soaked in 240 ml ruby port for 25 minutes
- 1 2.4 kg turkey roast
- 2 onions finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 25 ml unsalted butter
- 25 ml olive oil
- 700 ml chicken stock divided
- 500 ml fresh cranberries split in half
- 220 ml demi-glace
- Salt and black pepper
- Optional garnish pomegranate arils and fresh sage leaves
About the ingredients
I prefer ruby port over tawny for better spice-notes but either works. Dried cranberries quantity increased slightly so more inside for chew contrast; the fresh cranberries reduced a bit, as too many made sauce watery in past. Butter and olive oil for depth and sheen; olive oil keeps pan fond from burning but butter adds nutty flavor—balance is key. Chicken stock about 700 ml total, but always have more on hand—low sodium preferred, so salt is yours to control. Demi-glace store-bought for convenience; if you want, reduce a good veal or beef stock until syrupy thick as homemade substitute. Pomegranate seeds optional but offer crunch and color—great kitchen hack to brighten serving. Sage is fresh, not dried; dried herbs yield bitterness in this context. Garlic just a single clove, minced finely to avoid overpowering. Onions grated or fine diced; slower cook means sweeter base. For nut allergies safe, no substitutions needed here.
Method
- Preheat oven to 205°C (400°F). Drain the cranberries, keep soaking port aside.
- Using fingers, gently slip the soaked cranberries between the turkey breast halves inside the roast—the trick is to avoid untying the roast. Pack in well for juicy fruit bursts.
- Heat ovenproof pan. Brown entire roast on all sides in butter and oil. This seals juices and builds flavor. Don’t rush; listen for steady sizzling, golden crust forming. Transfer roast off pan, sprinkle salt and pepper.
- Same pan, lower heat. Sweat onions and garlic gently until translucent and soft but not browned—smell that savory sweetness unfolding.
- Deglaze pan with reserved port, scraping brown bits. Let the liquid bubble hard, concentrate aromatics, about 3 minutes.
- Add 250 ml chicken stock and half the fresh cranberries now. Stir, watch cranberries begin to soften, bubbles slow down. Place turkey back in pan, breast side up.
- Shift pan to oven uncovered, roast 30 minutes at 205°C. Listen for quiet bubbling juices. Then reduce oven to 160°C (325°F). Add another 250 ml stock halfway through the roasting process—usually after 55 minutes.
- Cook for about 1hr 55m total or until internal thermometer reads 74°C (165°F) in thickest spot. If juices run clear when pierced, no guesswork needed.
- Remove turkey, rest under foil 10 minutes. Resting keeps juices inside meat instead of spilling on cutting board.
- Return pan to stovetop. Stir in demi-glace and remaining fresh cranberries. Simmer 2-3 minutes, sauce should thicken and cranberries burst, giving tangy punch. Taste for salty balance; adjust with salt and pepper.
- Slice roast on platter. Spoon cranberry-port sauce generously. Scatter pomegranate seeds and sage for color and herbaceous aroma. Serve immediately.
Cooking tips
Start with high oven heat, don’t guess browning by color alone; listen for firm crust sizzling with gentle crackle sounds. Too hot and outside burns before inside cooks—know by smell, burning is a telltale bad sign. When sweating onions and garlic, keep heat below medium low; burning garlic ruins sauce. Deglaze is crucial—scrape bottom well with wooden spoon; those browned bits are flavor foundation. Adding liquid gradually avoids sudden temperature drops that can toughen meat. Place pan uncovered in oven for initial roast, so steam escapes, crust stays crisp. Halfway through slow roast, add broth evenly—slow juicy environment for tender meat fibers. Use a probe thermometer properly inserted into thickest part of breast—no guessing doneness by color or time alone. Resting meat covered keeps warmth, allows juices to redistribute; slice too soon, juices run out and meat dries. Sauce finishing thickened with demi-glace, stirred gently to avoid mashing fresh cranberries fully—sauce texture matters in balance. If sauce thickens too fast, add small splash broth to loosen. Gust tastes along the way help adjust seasoning; salt late, as reduction concentrates flavors.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Start searing at medium high, listen for steady sizzle crackle, don’t rush browning or you scorch. That crust is flavor base, smells nutty, golden with butter olive oil combo. Watch panel colors, gentle steam from fat, not smoke. Patience here locks moisture inside.
- 💡 When slipping soaked dried cranberries inside breast halves use fingers, push gently to avoid tearing or opening roast. Cranberries get plump and juicy from port soak, little bursts inside meat texture later. Keep port reserved for deglazing, don’t pour all at once.
- 💡 Sweat onions garlic on low/medium low till soft, translucent, no brown edges or smell. Garlic burns fast so eyes on it. Sweetness builds slowly here, that gentle aroma layering next sauce stages. Deglaze immediately with reserved port, scrape pan bottom well for brown bits.
- 💡 Add chicken stock gradually, better in halves or thirds to keep pan temp stable. Sudden chill toughens meat fibers. Halfway through long roast add second stock splash evenly. Oven drops from high to low slows cooking, juices bubble quietly, no lid helps crust stay crisp.
- 💡 Check internal temp with probe thermometer, aim for 74°C breast thickest point, no guess by color alone. If juices flow clear when pierced it’s done. Rest turkey covered foil 10 min before slicing; resting lets fibers relax, juices redistribute, stops spill on board.
Common questions
Can I use other dried fruit besides cranberries?
Yes but texture changes. Raisins or cherries add sweetness but soak time varies, monitor closely. Avoid overly soft or sugary dried fruit—may break down too much inside roast.
What if I don’t have demi-glace?
Use reduced veal or beef stock thickened down slowly. Reduce stock till syrupy thick, can add a splash of red wine or port to replicate flavor punch. Store-bought demi-glace shortcut saves hours but quality varies.
How to avoid dry turkey breast?
Sear first seals outer layer locking juices. Slow roast in broth environment keeps internal moisture steady, don’t open oven too often, add stock halfway. Use thermometer; guessing by time risks dries. Rest covered after.
How to store leftovers safely?
Cool quickly, refrigerate in airtight container up to 3-4 days. Sauce can freeze separately or combined. Reheat gently on stovetop, add splash stock if sauce too thick or dry. Avoid microwave to keep texture.
