Creamy Quince Horseradish Turkey Breast

For those who are cooking for only a few people, this Creamy Quince Horseradish Turkey Breast recipe is a great excuse to opt-out on roasting an entire bird for Thanksgiving dinner. This alternative is a fancy, flavorful turkey dish that is a substitute for a roast turkey or anytime fresh quince is in season. Additionally, quince turns a beautiful shade of pink when cooked. Consequently, this lovely color makes for a beautiful presentation.

Sometimes we don’t feel like pulling out the entire Thanksgiving dinner. Consequently, there are several recipes on this blog featuring turkey dishes that are great substitutes. The bonus is this dish takes way less time than roasting a turkey. The horseradish in this recipe does not bring the heat as much as it does flavor. Grated fresh horseradish has a bitter flavor as compared to the prepared jarred variety. In this case, it works well with the sweet quince. Up the amount one tablespoon at a time for a spicier version.

Make this Creamy Quince Horseradish Turkey Breast dish by seasoning and pan-frying the turkey. Remove from pan. Then, add fragrant quince and sweet red onion pieces to caramelize in the turkey drippings, Add broth and cream to the pan. The cream sauce consists of heavy cream and creme fraiche to make it ultra-silky and decadent. Add the horseradish, then return the turkey to the pan and simmer.

Unlike a Thanksgiving turkey, this dish is done in one hour. The recipe below serves four. However, it can easily be doubled or tripped. If you are having a small gathering for Thanksgiving or Christmas this year, I highly recommend this dish. It looks and tastes deluxe. However, it is super simple to make.

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Turkey Breast in Creamy Quince Horseradish Sauce

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, European

Keyword Quince Recipes, Quince Turkey, Trukey Breast

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings -38

Author Lora Wiley-Lennartz

Ingredients

• 1+1/2 lbs turkey breast
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 red onion
• 1/2 lb fresh quince
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• 2 cups turkey or poultry stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons fresh grated horseradish
• 1/2 cup creme fraiche
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Instructions

1. Rinse the turkey breasts and pat dry.
2. Season both sides of each breast with salt and freshly ground pepper. Let stand 10 minutes
3. Wash and pat dry the quince.
4. Peel, quarter and core the quince, then cut each section into small pieces.
5. Chop the red onion into small pieces
6. Heat the unsalted butter in a large skillet.
7. Add the turkey breasts to the pan and cook on both sides until brown. Remove from pan and transfer to a plate.
8. Cover the plate with aluminum foil and stow in a warm place.
9. Add the chopped red onion to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onions become transparent.
10. Add the quince pieces to the pan and stir to combine with onions and coat with the pan juices.
11. Sprinkle the powdered sugar over the onion and quince pieces and continue cooking until the mixture caramelizes.
12. Pour the turkey broth into the pan. Add the bay leaf and bring everything to a simmer.
13. Stir in the heavy cream and 2 tablespoons of freshly grated horseradish.
14. Stir in the creme fraiche.
15. When the creme fraiche has dissolved completely into the mixture, add the turkey breasts back to the pan and bring to a boil.
16. Lower the heat and let everything simmer for 15-20 minutes until the turkey breasts are completely cooked through.
17. Remove the bay leaf from the pan. Transfer the turkey breasts to a serving platter.
18. Pour the sauce over the top of the turkey breasts and spoon the cooked quince and onion onto the plate.
19. Garnish with the remaining tablespoon of freshly grated horseradish and the chopped chives and serve.

Like this Creamy Quince Horseradish Turkey Breast recipe? Also, check out some of these other delicious recipes:

TURKEY BREAST IN APPLE BRANDY SAUCE

QUINCE ALMOND BREAD

QUINCE STREUSEL ICE CREAM