Lay off, I'm starving

For Christmas, Jack and I had a fancy dinner just the two of us to celebrate as a family before we met with the extended family. A little sentimental since it would be our last one with just the two of us, I planned a sit down dinner complete with china and candles on Christmas Eve. I went to one of my favorite cookbooks, Barefoot Contessa's Back to Basics, for ideas. I ended up making a Roasted Turkey Roulade. It turned out really great, especially the stuffing. It was VERY delicious. SO much so I thought I would share it. She adds sausage, figs, and cranberries-I think the sausage makes it. The only thing I would change would mince the figs a little bit better than I did, but other than that, I wouldn't change a thing. Oh and I didn't use pine nuts because I forgot, but I'm sure they add something special. Here's a picture of the stuffing mixture before

Roasted Turkey Roulade

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup large-diced dried figs, stems removed
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup Calvados or brandy
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups diced onions (2 onions)
• 1 cup (1/2-inch-diced) celery (3 stalks)
• 3/4 pound pork sausage, casings removed (sweet and hot mixed)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
• 3 cups herb-seasoned stuffing mix (recommended: Pepperidge Farm)
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1 extra-large egg, beaten
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 whole (2 halves) turkey breast, boned and butterflied (5 pounds)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions

Place the dried figs and cranberries in a small saucepan and pour in the Calvados and 1/2 cup water. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage, crumbling it into small bits with a fork, and saute, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes, until cooked and browned. Add the figs and cranberries with the liquid, the chopped rosemary, and pine nuts, and cook for 2 more minutes. Scrape up the brown bits with a wooden spoon.

Place the stuffing mix in a large bowl. Add the sausage mixture,chicken stock, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and stir well. (The stuffing may be prepared ahead and stored in the refrigerator overnight.)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place a baking rack on a sheet pan.

Lay the butterflied turkey breast skin side down on a cutting board. Sprinkle the meat with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Spread the stuffing in a 1/2-inch-thick layer over the meat, leaving a half-inch border on all sides. Don't mound the stuffing or theturkey will be difficult to roll. (Place the leftover stuffing in a buttered gratin dish and bake for the last 45 minutes of roasting alongside the turkey.) Starting at 1 end, roll the turkey like a jelly roll and tuck in any stuffing that tries to escape on the sides. Tie the roast firmly with kitchen twine every 2 inches to make a compact cylinder.

Place the stuffed turkey breast seam side down on the rack on thesheet pan. Brush with the melted butter, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, and roast for 1 3/4 to 2 hours, until an instant-read thermometer registers 150 degrees F in the center. (I test in a few places.) Cover the turkey with aluminum foil and allow it to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Carve 1/2-inch-thick slices and serve warm with the extra stuffing.