Super Simple Sage-y Roasted Turkey Breast

Ingredients

• 3 to 7 pounds bone-in, skin-on turkey breast (1 half-breast or 1 whole turkey breast joined at the breast bone)
• 3-6 tsp kosher salt (figure about 1 tsp per pound of meat)
• about 15 sage leaves
• 3 T butter, softened
• 2 T olive oil

optional gravy

• 2 T of fat from the pan
• 2 T flour
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• a few sage leaves
• 1 1/2 c chicken broth

The morning you intend to roast the turkey, pat it dry and sprinkle it all over with the salt.  Return it to the refrigerator – uncovered (this is going to help produce a nice crispy skin).  Remove the turkey from the refrigerator about an hour before it goes in the oven.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Have a roasting pan with a rack ready.  If you don’t have the rack, don’t worry.

Gently separate the skin from the breast meat and place the sage leaves and the butter under the skin, distributing it all as evenly as you can.  Then pull the skin back so that it covers the breast as much as possible.   Rub the skin with the olive oil.

Place the breast on the rack in the roasting pan, skin side up.  After 30 minutes reduce the heat to 350 degrees.  Roast until a thermometer registers 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the breast. Expect that to take at least 1 hour and up to 1 hr 45 minutes, depending upon the size of the breast.

Remove the turkey from the oven and allow it to rest for 15-20 minutes.  While it is resting, make the gravy, if you’re using it.

Put 2 T of fat from the roasting pan into a small saucepan over medium heat.  Add the flour and cook and stir for a few minutes.  Mix in the mustard and the sage leaves. Then slowly add the chicken broth, stirring until the gravy begins to thicken, 2-3 minutes.

Carve the breast and serve with the gravy.