Venison Sausage, Hazelnut Stuffed Turkey Breast with Brandy Persimmon Sauce
Delicious! The flavors of this stuffed turkey recipe go very nicely together. This is a classic American holiday recipe that I created. Friends who have already gotten their limit of deer this season gave me some venison sausage and venison tenderloin steaks to cook a few recipes with. Deer sausage is cured, very lean and mild in flavor. Hazelnuts add a nice complimentary flavor to the venison sausage. Fresh persimmon sauce does not over power the flavors of the stuffed turkey.
Venison and Hazelnut Stuffing Recipe: Saute some chopped onion and celery in a little bit of unsalted butter over medium heat. Add some fine chopped cured venison sausage. Cook till the vegetables become tender. Add some light turkey broth. Simmer for five minutes. Cut some French bread into small cubes and place them in a mixing bowl. Strain and reserve the the broth. Place the vegetables and venison sausage in the mixing bowl. Add some fine chopped toasted hazelnuts. Add sea salt, black pepper, a few pinches of sage, chopped parsley and a few pinches of marjoram. Add just enough of the reserved broth to moisten the stuffing. Add a whisked egg. Mix the ingredients gently.
Recipe: Cut a turkey breast off of the bone and leave the skin on the turkey breast. Remove the filet tender section. Trim any fat and excess skin from the breast. Lay the breast on a cutting board skin side down. Use a sharp chef's knife to slice and butterfly the breast so it is an even thickness. (About a half inch thick is good.) Spread the stuffing on the turkey breast. Fold the turkey over the stuffing and place the stuffed turkey breast on a baking pan so the open seam faces down and the skin faces upward. Brush the turkey with olive oil. Season lightly with sea salt, black pepper, sage and Herbes Du Provence. Add a splash of water to the pan. Bake in a 325 degree oven, uncovered till the turkey is fully cooked and the skin is crispy golden brown.
Let the stuffed turkey cool and rest for 5 minutes.
Brandy Persimmon Sauce Recipe: Boil two ripe persimmons in water till they become soft. Let the persimmons cool. Cut the dark stem off and peel off the persimmon skin. Very fine mince the persimmon and place it in a sauce pot. Add a little bit of water, 2 whole cloves, a pinch of allspice, a pinch of sea salt and some sugar. Add a generous pour of brandy.
Simmer the persimmon sauce over medium heat till the flavors meld. Press the persimmon sauce through a fine mesh sieve to puree the mixture. Return the persimmon puree sauce to the sauce pot on medium heat. Let the sauce reduce slightly. Add a little bit of cornstarch and cold water slurry while stirring to thicken the persimmon sauce to a light consistency.
Assembly: Pour some of the sauce on a plate. Slice the stuffed turkey with a sharp serrated knife. Carefully place the stuffed turkey slices on the sauce on the plate with a spatula. Spoon the reserved extra persimmon sauce around the turkey slices.
The flavor of this classic wild game recipe is very comforting and pleasant! The persimmon sauce is very nice with the venison and hazelnut stuffed turkey. Yum! ... Shawna