Fig and Blue Cheese Stuffed Turkey Breast

While we were on vacation we brought back a lot of food...compotes, chutneys, vinegar, chocolate....I was excited to try the fig compote, that had walnuts and cardamom in it. It is nice and chunky, with big pieces of fig in it, full of spices, and oh so good. This was going to be a good meal!

I had two turkey breast fillets to use, and decided to stuff them with the fig compote, as well as the tiny bit of blue cheese in the fridge. I roasted some potatoes, along with the last asparagus spears to accompany the turkey.

After deciding what I was going to make, the dilemma was how I was going to stuff the turkey. In the end I went with the simple method of making slits in the top of the turkey, and stuffing the fig and blue cheese inside.

To make the potatoes, turn the oven on to 400F.

Cut two red potatoes into 1/2" thick slices and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, and chopped fresh rosemary.

Place into the oven to roast.

When the potatoes are half cooked, add some whole cloves of peeled garlic and place it back into the oven to finish cooking.

Turn the oven down to 350F.



 

About ten minutes before serving, lightly drizzle the asparagus with olive oil and place in the same pan as the potatoes.

Place back into the oven to roast.







While the potatoes are roasting, stuff the turkey; time the cooking of it with the potatoes and asparagus.

Make three slits in the top of each turkey breast fillet, at a 45 degree angle, as shown.

Stuff some fig compote into each slit.

Add some crumbled blue cheese on top of the fig compote.

Heat some olive oil in an ovenproof frying pan, and add the turkey, keeping the stuffed side facing up. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the pan into the oven and bake until the turkey is fully cooked.

Remove from the oven and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before serving.







Serve the turkey on top of the roast potatoes and asparagus, sprinkling the plate with some chopped fresh parsley.

• Chicken breasts can be substituted for the turkey; this would also be really tasty if you used pork or beef tenderloin.
• The turkey can be stuffed a few hours ahead of time, keep it refrigerated until you are ready to cook it.
• Blue cheese can be changed to brie or camembert, Cambozola or goat cheese.
• Sundried figs can be used if you don't have a fig compote...simply slice them thinly and follow the recipe.
• As long as there is the contrast of sweetness to the tartness of the cheese, any fruit compote or dried fruit can be used.
• Fresh herbs can be chopped and mixed with the cheese; roasted garlic would make a good addition or substitution for the compote.