Turkey breast stuffed with dried apricots in cava sauce

How about I tell you I bring the perfect dish for this Christmas? This apricot-stuffed turkey breast with cava sauce has it all: it is delicious, easy and quick to prepare, economical and very eye-catching!!

And although the most traditional way is to prepare these types of meats in the oven or slow-cooked, I suggest making it in a pressure cooker (I made it in the the WMF Perfect model). And I’m sure the result will surprise you, because not only is it delicious, but we'll have it ready in much less time than you imagine.

The biggest complication of this recipe is opening the breast for stuffing, as it must be completely spread out, like a meat griddle. But if you ask your butcher to cut it “butterfly-style” (or for stuffing) we will have saved the most complicated step of the recipe…. The rest will be a breeze!!

On this occasion I prepared it stuffed with apricots, duck pâté and pistachios, because it’s a combination I love and that feels very festive, but of course you can fill it with whatever you like most.

Try swapping pistachios for walnuts and apricots for dried figs. Or add cheese. Or some sautéed mushrooms and slices of serrano ham….

And what about the foolproof ham and cheese filling? I’m sure the little ones at home will love it!

As a side I suggest some steamed baby potatoes (which we also prepare in the WMF cooker) that turn out delicious. But if you want to give the potatoes a more festive touch, once cooked and peeled, sauté them in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil, a couple of whole garlic cloves and a sprig of rosemary until golden.

You’ll see how much they enjoy it!!

WMF Perfect pressure cooker set , Set of 2 Emile Henr ramekinsand and Pallarès kitchen knives

Ingredients

• 1 turkey breast of approx. 1.3 kg
• 125 g of dried apricots
• 100 g of pistachios
• 100 g of duck pâté (duck mousse, goose…)
• 80 ml of olive oil
• 80 g of onion
• 250 ml of cava
• 250 ml of chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon of flour
• Salt
• Pepper

For the garnish:

• 400 g of baby potatoes
• 250 ml of water
• Salt

WMF Perfect pressure cooker set , Set of 2 Emile Henr ramekinsand and Pallarès kitchen knives

Preparation

For the stuffed breast:

1. First soak the apricots in a bowl with enough water to cover them. Once hydrated, drain and set aside.
2. Shell the pistachios and set aside.
3. Trim the breast of any excess fat it may have. Then with a knife well sharpened, open the breast butterfly-style so that it lies as flat as possible (as if you wanted to make a single large fillet). You can ask the butcher to open the breast for stuffing, which will avoid this step that is the most complicated.
4. Next, season the breast with salt and pepper on both sides and lay it out on a cutting board. Spread the pâté, the apricots and the pistachios over it, taking care that the filling does not reach the edges so it won’t spill out when we roll it.
5. Roll the breast tightly so it becomes as compact a roll as possible and tie it with kitchen twine (the most important thing is that it’s well tied so the filling doesn’t come out; it’s okay if it doesn’t look very pretty).
6. Cover the bottom of the pot with olive oil and heat it over medium-high heat.
7. When the oil is hot, add the stuffed breast and brown it well on all sides so a crust forms sealing it.
8. Once browned, remove the breast from the pot and set aside.
9. In the same oil where you browned the breast, add the onion, peeled and sliced, and sauté it for 1 minute.
10. Next, add the flour and lightly cook it so it loses the raw taste.
11. Add the cava and, with a wooden spoon, gently scrape the bottom of the pot to recover the juices that may have stuck and let the alcohol evaporate for 1 minute.
12. Put the turkey breast back into the pot, along with the juices it released on the plate, and add the chicken stock.
13. Close the pot and leave it on high heat until it reaches the second ring. At that moment lower the heat to the minimum and let it cook for 10 minutes.
14. After that time, remove the pot from the heat and let it lose pressure naturally until the two rings drop.
15. When you can open the pot, take out the turkey breast and place it on a plate. Pass the sauce through a fine sieve so it becomes a very smooth sauce. Discard the solids left in the strainer.
16. Pour the sauce back into the pot and let it simmer a few minutes over low heat to reduce.
17. As soon as you can handle the turkey breast without burning yourself, remove the kitchen twine and, after letting it rest a few minutes so the juices settle, slice it.

WMF Perfect pressure cooker set , Set of 2 Emile Henr ramekinsand and Pallarès kitchen knives

For the potato garnish:

1. Wash the potatoes, season them and place them in the steam basket.
2. Pour the water into the pot and insert the steam basket.
3. Close the pot and put it on high heat until it reaches the second ring. At that moment lower the heat to the minimum and let it cook for 6 minutes.
4. After that time, remove the pot from the heat and let it lose pressure until the two rings drop.
5. When you can open the pot, take out the potatoes and, when you can do so without burning yourself, peel them.

For plating:

1. Serve the slices of stuffed turkey accompanied by the cava sauce and the potatoes. You can serve the sauce separately or place it as the base of the plate.

Notes:

• If children won’t be eating this dish, you can soak the apricots in rum or any other liqueur; it gives a fantastic touch.
• Want more pressure-cooker recipes? Then I recommend the book Cocina en Olla Exprés, a book made with much love to get the most out of your pressure cooker.

WMF Perfect pressure cooker set , Set of 2 Emile Henr ramekinsand and Pallarès kitchen knives