Roast Turkey Breast with Roasted Garlic Gravy

Ingredients

• 2 turkey wings
• 2 heads garlic
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and white pepper
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1 bone-in, skin-on turkey breast, about 6-7 pounds
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon ground sage or poultry seasoning

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Using a cleaver or a sturdy kitchen knife, cut the turkey wings into pieces, or ask your butcher to handle that part. Rub the wing pieces with some of the olive oil, season them generously with salt, and spread them out in a single layer in a roasting pan.
2. Cut away the top 1/4 of each garlic head and throw that piece away. Set the garlic heads on aluminum foil, drizzle them with the remaining olive oil, then seal the foil around them. Tuck the foil packet into the roasting pan with the turkey wings.
3. Slide the pan into the oven and roast at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. Take out the garlic packet, leaving it wrapped, then turn the turkey pieces over and roast them for another 15 minutes.
4. While the wings are in the oven, remove the turkey breast from its packaging, rinse it under cool water, and dry it well with paper towels. Leave it out so it can come to room temperature.
5. Once the turkey wings are done, transfer them to a medium pot and cover them with water. Pour 1 cup of water into the roasting pan and use a wooden spoon to loosen all the browned bits from the bottom. Add that liquid to the pot with the wings, cover, and let it simmer gently for 1 hour.
6. Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Rub the turkey breast with more olive oil, then season it all over with salt, black pepper, thyme, and sage. Set it skin side up on a rack in a roasting pan, and pour 1 cup of water into the bottom of the pan to help keep the oven from smoking.
7. Put the turkey breast in the oven and roast for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to 350 degrees F and continue cooking until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads 155 degrees F, about 80-90 minutes for a 6 to 7 pound breast. The temperature will keep climbing after the turkey comes out to rest, so start checking the breast after 1 hour to avoid taking it too far.
8. While the turkey breast roasts, strain the turkey broth through a fine-meshed strainer into a bowl. In a small pot, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter, then stir in the flour. Cook this mixture over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until it turns the color of coffee-with-cream.
9. Add the hot turkey broth to the butter and flour mixture about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring the whole time. Keep adding broth until you have a thin gravy, about 2-3 cups. Squeeze the roasted garlic from the heads into the gravy, then let it simmer gently while the turkey breast finishes cooking, adding more turkey broth or water if it thickens too much.
10. When the turkey breast is done, take it out of the oven, tent it with foil, and let it rest for 15 minutes before you carve it.
11. Pour the gravy into a blender and purée it until smooth. Transfer it back to the pot, season with salt and pepper to taste, and swirl in 1 tablespoon of butter at the end.
12. To carve the turkey breast, cut straight down alongside the keel bone, which runs between the breast halves, until your knife reaches the breast bone. Slice the meat away, using short strokes to release it from the bone. If you like, remove the tender from underneath the breast and slice it on its own, since it usually comes loose as you carve anyway. Slice the boned breast and serve.