If turkey breast is your holiday centerpiece this year, I’ve got a proposition for you: Trade the roasted turkey crown and brown gravy for the prettiest, most flavor-packed piece of white-meat poultry you’ve ever tasted.
I’m talking about turkey porchetta, or turchetta, a preparation that takes its name, shape, and seasonings from the iconic Italian pork roast called porchetta. To make the pork version, home cooks usually slather a boneless loin with a garlicky herb and spice paste; wrap it with the fatty, skin-on belly; and roast the pork low and slow until the skin browns and crisps and the meat is ultratender. Borrowing the approach for turkey breast has become a popular way to deliver bold flavor and an impressive presentation with a typically mild-mannered roast, and it actually offers turkey cookery a few unique advantages. As an all-breast-meat preparation, it skirts the challenge of evenly cooking a whole bird, and this treatment is make-ahead friendly because the bulk of the hands-on work is done well
