Herb Roasted Turkey Breast

Since we only had 4 adults at our Thanksgiving table this year, I cooked a turkey breast instead of the whole bird. Last year I used an Emeril recipe for my turkey breast. It was good, but it involved a lot of bacon. I was ready for a change this year, so I tried a recipe for Herb Roasted Turkey Breast from Ina Garten aka the Barefoot Contessa. It was the BEST turkey I have ever had! It was so moist and tender, with lots of flavor from the herbs. Best of all, the only added fat was the olive oil in the rub. I used a boneless turkey breast, but that was just kind of an accident. It would be good either way! 

1 whole bone-in turkey breast, 6 1/2 to 7 pounds

1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves) 

2 teaspoons dry mustard

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves 

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves 

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons good olive oil 

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 

1 cup dry white wine

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place the turkey breast, skin side up, on a rack in a roasting pan.

In a small bowl, combine the garlic, mustard, herbs, salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice to make a paste. Loosen the skin from the meat gently with your fingers and smear half of the paste directly on the meat. Spread the remaining paste evenly on the skin. Pour the wine into the bottom of the roasting pan.

Roast the turkey for 1 3/4 to 2 hours, until the skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest and meatiest areas of the breast. (I test in several places.) If the skin is over-browning, cover the breast loosely with aluminum foil. When the turkey is done, cover with foil and allow it to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Slice and serve with the pan juices spooned over the turkey.

(The boneless turkey breast took almost 2 hours, so I imagine the bone-in would be 2+ hours.)