Turkey Roast with Pineapple
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
A 2.1 kg turkey breast roast dry-brined in a spiced brine with pineapple juice. Stuffed with a savory blend of dried cherries, toasted bread cubes, and spiced sausage, then encased in fresh pineapple. Slow roasted with a protective cotton cloth over the leafy crown to avoid burning. Cooking guided by internal temp, resting to lock juices. Uses subtle cinnamon and star anise in the brine, replacing cannelle. Pistachios swapped for chopped pecans. Butter replaced with olive oil in stuffing for dairy-free. Fancy, rustic roast combining sweet, savory, and aromatic notes. Prep 40 min. Cook approx 2h 20m. Serves 10.
Prep:
40 min
Cook:
Total:
Servings:
10 servings
#poultry
#brining
#holiday roast
#fruit stuffing
#French cuisine
#dairy-free
Turkey can be dull, dry, when rushed or overcooked. Tried dry brining with aromatic tweaks—star anise over cinnamon—gives unexpected warmth without overpowering. Pineapple juice for brine liquid adds subtle acidity to break down proteins, fight dryness, but not too sweet. Inside, cherries replace cranberries—more tart, less sticky. Pecans add crunch instead of pistachios, which can be pricey or scarce. Olive oil instead of butter brings smooth richness, no dairy. The pineapple hull as edible casing contains juicy stuffing and turkey, adding tropical notes and drama on the plate. I learned to watch for splits in pineapple, cover leafy crown or it crisps to leather. Temperature, texture, color cues matter more than clock. Juices should glisten, skin browning evenly at the right pace. A roast that smells fruit, herbs, and savory meat—is right when internal stuffing hits 74°C. Resting relaxes fibers. Slicing unveils layers you won’t forget. Familiar yet fresh approach, kitchen tested over years.
Ingredients
- 2.1 kg turkey breast roast skin on, boneless, not tied, two halves
Brine liquids and solids ===
- 1.4 liters cold water
- 25 ml kosher salt
- 20 ml light brown sugar
- 3 ml ground star anise, finely ground
- 300 ml pineapple juice, unsweetened
Stuffing ===
- 100 ml dried tart cherries
- 150 ml boiling water
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 30 ml olive oil
- 50 ml vegetable broth
- 200 g mild Italian pork sausage, casing removed
- 100 ml toasted cubed rustic bread
- 50 ml chopped pecans
- Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt
- 1 medium ripe pineapple with crown intact
- 30 ml olive oil
- Butcher’s twine
- Cotton cheesecloth moistened
- Aluminum foil
About the ingredients
Brine salt amount lowered by about 15%. Kept water volume just enough to fully submerge roast without waste. Star anise replaces cinnamon offering slightly licorice note less commonly done, balances pineapple sweetness. Brown sugar lightly reduced to prevent stickiness. Dried tart cherries instead of cranberries—evener sweetness, more chew. Pecans crushed add mellow nutty texture, swap for pistachios if preferred, or toasted almonds for crunch. Butter swapped to olive oil cuts fat type, easier for lactose intolerant and provides gentle caramelization. Bread cubes use crusty rustic bread toasted to avoid sogginess. Use good-quality sausage with fennel or mild herbs to avoid overpowering. Onion and garlic give base savoriness; cook gently to soften but not caramelize. Pineapple peeled carefully to keep presentation intact; expect minor splits. Cheesecloth and foil essential to protect leafy crown from excessive browning. Twine technique holds everything snug but not strangled—essential for even cooking.
Method
- Brining setup first. Turkey roast in stainless steel pot or non-reactive container. No plastic if possible, metal or ceramic better.
- Heat 200 ml water with salt, sugar, star anise until dissolved and aromatic, not boiling long. Off heat, add pineapple juice. Cool to room temp, add rest cold water. Pour over turkey to cover fully. Weight down if needed. Refrigerate 20 to 24 hours. Brining trims harshness, adds subtle sweet spice and moisture silently.
- Next, soak cherries in boiling water for 7 min until plumped, then drain.
- Heat oil in pan. Toss in onion, garlic, cook till translucent edges, don’t brown. Stir in broth to deglaze, scrape fond bits. Remove from heat. Let cool 5 minutes.
- Mix sausage, bread cubes, pecans, cherries, onion-garlic mixture in bowl. Season with salt, plenty black pepper. Stuffing sticky, chunky, moist but not wet. Keep chilled while prepping pineapple.
- Peel pineapple from base to crown, leave leafy top intact for presentation. Using a long sharp knife same length as pineapple, slice around center core, keeping at least 3 cm thick wall of fruit. Score around core base to loosen center, twist gently to remove core chunk. Expect minor splits—handle carefully, they can be pushed back later.
- Fill pineapple cavity with stuffing firmly, pack enough to create nice mound. If cracks appear, press gently to seal gaps. Refrigerate leftover stuffing for roasting later.
- Preheat oven to 230°C (450°F), rack positioned low. Lay turkey roast skin down, butterfly open halves to double surface area. Run twine under the meat, leaving tails on each side for tying.
- Season inside and out with salt and pepper. Spread reserved homemade stuffing evenly over meat side. Center stuffed pineapple mound atop, crown sticking out. Close roast over pineapple, tie ends with butchers twine snugly to seal and secure shape.
- Drizzle olive oil lightly on skin side, rub in gently.
- Place roast in a heavy roasting pan. Cover angular pineapple crown with damp four-layer cheesecloth to prevent scorching. Wrap foil loosely over crown and around cheesecloth.
- Slide into oven. Roast uncovered 15 minutes at high heat. Should smell sweet fruit and spices, skin start crisping.
- Reduce oven to 165°C (325°F). Roast 2 hours to 2 hours 20 minutes more. Cover loosely with foil across top if skin darkens too fast.
- Check doneness by inserting instant-read thermometer in pineapple stuffing center. Target 73 to 75°C (163 to 167°F) internal. If under, cook another 10 minutes then retest.
- Remove from oven, tent with foil, let rest 10 to 15 minutes. Juices happen now, flavors settle.
- Remove twine carefully while slicing straight down to reveal layers of juicy turkey, tart stuffing, sweet pineapple.
- Serve with pan drippings or blend drippings with a splash broth and pineapple juice as jus. Side of grated Parmesan scented potato rosettes recommended.
Cooking tips
Start brine early, overnight ideal—allows salt and pineapple acids to work fully. Use stainless or ceramic container to avoid metallic tastes. Cooling brine before adding turkey critical to avoid partial cooking. After brining, dry surface slightly with paper towel for better browning. Stuffing balance crucial—too wet and stuffing falls apart, too dry and it’s crumbly inside. Rehydrate cherries just before using. Onion and garlic softened in oil, not browned or they get bitter. Deglaze pan with broth to lift fond and add umami, cool before mixing with sausage to prevent premature cooking. When prepping pineapple, long knife handy for depth and control; cut around core carefully. Loosen base by scoring core to ease removal. Stuff pineapple firmly—can wiggle slightly but maintain shape. Butterfly turkey halves for more even cooking, larger surface for stuffing spread. Salt and pepper generously—turkey is mild requiring seasoning. Tie but don’t squeeze too tight to let heat circulate. Olive oil on skin helps crisp and keep moist. High heat blast starts skin caramelization, keeps juices in. Lower temp slow roast to avoid drying outsides before inside cooks. Check temperature inside stuffing—not turkey—because it’s thickest point. Use thermometer probe tip deep in pineapple center. Tent with foil if skin darkens too fast; it’s easy to burn sugars. Rest roast covered for 10 to 15 minutes for juices to redistribute. Slice off twine gently to preserve shape. Serve with pan jus made simple by skimming fat, deglazing pan. Potato rosettes with Parmesan add salty contrast, crispy texture. Watch for sensory cues—smells, sight of golden skin, juices bubbling through sliced meat—as signals you’ve cooked it right. No timing gospel, trust eye and touch.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Brine cold, container stainless or ceramic only. No plastic. Adds clean flavors, prevents metallic taste. Cool pineapple juice mix fully before submerging. Brine 20-24 hours max. Weight down bird for full coverage. Don’t skip drying surface after brine. Crucial for crispy skin.
- 💡 Rehydrate cherries just before stuffing; soaking too long makes them soggy. Oil gently heated for onions-garlic. Cook till translucent edges only no browning or bitterness. Add broth to scrape fond, cool before mixing with sausage to avoid pre-cooked mix.
- 💡 Peeling pineapple needs patience. Leave leafy crown intact for presentation and moisture. When slicing cavity, keep 3 cm thick wall, core removal by scoring base eases detachment. Minor splits in fruit okay; press gently to reseal, no tears. Handle pineapple like fragile package.
- 💡 Butter swapped with olive oil in stuffing to avoid dairy. Olive oil also helps browning gently in pan and skin rub. Use mild Italian sausage without fennel or overpowering spices to keep balance. Bread toasted to avoid sogginess inside stuffing; texture matters.
- 💡 Oven high heat start caramelizes skin fast, traps juices inside. Then lower heat to slow roast so inside cooks thoroughly. Cover pineapple crown with damp cheesecloth plus foil prevents leathering. Measure temp center stuffing not turkey meat—around 74°C hitting stuffing safe and juicy. Rest covered 10-15 min before slicing.
Common questions
Why use star anise for brine?
Star anise adds subtle licorice note. Less common than cinnamon, gives warmth. Balances pineapple sweetness. Used finely ground. Avoid overpowering by small qty. Substitute with cinnamon if needed but changes profile.
How to tell when stuffing is cooked?
Use instant-read thermometer. Check inside pineapple cavity stuffing center. Target 73-75°C. Stuffing temp signals doneness since thickest part. Turkey meat cooks through faster once stuffing done. No guesswork, temp is key.
What if pineapple crown chars?
Cover leafy top with damp cheesecloth, wrap loosely with foil. Prevents burning but allows moisture. Check mid-cook maybe mist slightly if drying. Leaving crown unprotected causes crisp, bitter edges. Avoid by covering early.
How to store leftovers?
Wrap roast tight, fridge up to 3 days. Stuffing may dry fast, keep moist with foil or add splash broth when reheating. Can freeze parts but texture suffers. Reheat slow oven or stovetop with covered pan to maintain juiciness.
