Chef John DeLucie's Holiday Plans: Ralph Lauren Jeans and Turkey Roulade!

by The Daily Front Row

How does chef John DeLucie of The Lion, Bill’s Food & Drink, and Crown do it up for the fowl-obsessed occasion? At his ‘rents, with a killer twist of a turkey recipe and some go-to blues…

What do you wear on Thanksgiving?
My favorite pair of worn in Ralph Lauren jeans and a flannel shirt.

What do you don the day after?
The same thing! 

What’s your Thanksgiving like?
We always spend it at my parent’s home in Long Island.  Our meal is traditional, with turkey and all the fixings. It’s also part Italian, with antipasti and ravioli.

What’s the most loathsome holiday grub around?
Cranberry sauce from a can.

What’s your signature dish?
A classic Turkey Roulade…

Ingredients
1 boneless turkey breast half, about 3 pounds

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  
1/3 cup small dice sweet onion

1 tablespoon minced garlic

8 ounces button mushrooms, ends trimmed and thinly sliced

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

2 bunches fresh spinach, tough stems trimmed
3 tablespoons dried unseasoned bread crumbs
salt and fresh pepper

Directions
1. 
On a large cutting board, place turkey breast on top of plastic wrap and make a butterfly cut. Cover with additional plastic wrap and pound to an even thickness of 1/2-inch keeping the skin in tact. Roll turkey up and transfer to the refrigerator while you prepare the stuffing.



2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat and saute the onions and garlic until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring, until caramelized around the edges, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the spinach, 1 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted and any juices have evaporated from the pan, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a colander to drain and set aside until cool enough to handle. Once cooled, squeeze lightly to release any excess liquid, then transfer to a bowl and add the bread crumbs. Mix well.



3. Lay the turkey breast flat on a clean work surface and remove the top layer of plastic wrap. Season the skin side of the turkey with salt and pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Turn over so that the skin side is on the plastic wrap. Season the inside of the turkey with salt and pepper. Arrange the spinach-mushroom stuffing over the turkey to reach within 1-inch from all edges. Carefully roll up the roulade. Using butcher’s twine, tie the roulade at even intervals so that it remains tightly rolled. Rub the outside of the roulade with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and transfer to a rack inside of a shallow baking sheet. Roast until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the very center of the roulade registers 150 to 155 degrees F, usually 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Set aside to rest for 15 minutes then slice into 1/2-inch slices and serve hot.

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