Tender Sous Vide Turkey Breast with Golden Crispy Skin

1. Prepare Turkey Breast

Carefully remove the turkey skin in one piece, ensuring it's intact for roasting later. Use a sharp boning knife to remove the breast meat from the breastbone. Season the turkey generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper on all sides. Align the turkey breast to form an even cylinder, then tie it at 1-inch intervals with butcher's twine. Transfer the prepared turkey breast to a zipper-lock bag. You can refrigerate it for up to 5 days before proceeding.

2. Sous Vide Cooking

Heat your sous vide water bath to 145°F (63°C). Lower the bagged turkey into the water, squeeze out as much air as possible, and seal the bag. Cook the turkey for 2.5 hours. This ensures the meat cooks evenly and stays tender.

3. Prepare Crispy Skin

While the turkey is cooking, preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Spread the turkey skin on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Season it generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, then cover it with another sheet of parchment paper, smoothing out any air bubbles. Place a second baking sheet on top and roast until the skin is deep brown and crispy, about 30-45 minutes. Set the skin aside to cool at room temperature. If needed, you can re-crisp it in a hot oven before serving.

4. Prepare Gravy Base

Chop the breastbone into 1-inch chunks. Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan until smoking, then cook the breastbone, large onion, large carrot, and celery ribs until browned, about 10 minutes. Add the low-sodium chicken stock, bay leaves, and soy sauce, then simmer for 1 hour.

5. Finish Gravy

Strain the mixture, ensuring you have 1 quart (900ml) of stock. Melt the unsalted butter in a saucepan over medium heat, then add the all-purpose flour and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the fortified broth, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the gravy is thickened and reduced to about 3 cups (720ml). Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and keep warm.

6. Serve

Once the turkey is done, remove it from the water bath and unseal the bag. Cut away the butcher's twine and slice the turkey breast. Arrange the slices on a serving platter. Break the crispy skin into serving-sized pieces and serve alongside the turkey. Accompany with a pitcher of warm, flavorful gravy.