Polpettone Di Tacchino
Submitted by fodlver
Polpettone di tacchino: Italian rolled turkey roast stuffed with ground turkey, bread crumbs, pistachios, and herbs, then braised with white wine, sage, and rosemary. Elegant Sunday Italian dinner with a pinwheel cross-section.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
45 minREADY
1 hrsPolpettone di tacchino (turkey meatloaf, Italian-style) turns a humble turkey breast into a special-occasion dish. The breast gets butterflied and pounded flat, spread with a seasoned ground-turkey-and-pistachio filling, then rolled tight and braised slowly in a Tuscan-style herb-and-white-wine bath.
The pound-to-flat step is crucial. Aim for uniform ½-inch thickness so the roll is consistent across its length. Thick spots don’t cook through; thin spots tear when you roll.
Pistachios are the signature move. They add green flecks, subtle sweetness, and a gentle crunch through each slice that elevates this from meatloaf-in-disguise to proper Italian celebration food.
Brown the roll on all sides before the wine goes in. That crust is where you build fond and flavor; pale skin means pale sauce.
Adding wine first, then letting the alcohol burn off, concentrates the flavor without leaving a raw-wine taste. Then the chicken broth joins for the long simmer.
Two hours covered over low heat is non-negotiable. The connective tissue in the turkey melts into gelatin during that slow braise, producing meat that slices cleanly and tastes buttery.
Chef Tips
- Use kitchen twine to truss tightly every 1½ inches. Loose rolls fall apart during slicing.
- Let the roll rest 10 to 15 minutes after cooking before slicing. The juices redistribute back into the meat.
- Strain the pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve before serving. The clear, glossy sauce looks restaurant-professional over the slices.
- Sage and rosemary are both classic Tuscan herbs; fresh delivers dramatically more flavor than dried.
Variations
- Add a handful of sun-dried tomatoes to the filling for a brighter, more intensely flavored profile.
- Wrap the rolled breast in prosciutto or pancetta before braising for an outer salty-crispy layer.
- Stir a pat of cold butter into the strained pan juices at the end for a glossier, richer sauce.
Ingredients
Directions
Slice turkey breast and open it like a book.
Flatten with blade of large knife or with meat mallet until it forms a large sheet.
Sprinkle with garlic, parsley and salt and pepper on both sides.
Set aside.
Place ground meat, bread crumbs, eggs, 2 tablespoons chicken broth and pistachios in a bowl.
Add a half teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper and mix.
Spread mixture over open turkey breast, then roll up the short way, as you would for a jelly roll.
Tie with string.
Place sage, rosemary and olive oil in a skillet.
Brown turkey roll on all sides.
Add the wine and raise the heat to let alcohol evaporate.
Add a half cup of broth and simmer, tightly covered, for about two hours, turning only once.
Add more broth if necessary.
Remove string before slicing.
Serve with grapan juices strained over the slices.
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