Turkey breast with sausage & apricot stuffing Recipe Inspired by Jamie Oliver
As a fan of Clare Knivett’s unfussy approach to celebratory food, I was eager to cook this rolled roast rather than wrestle with a whole bird. It felt reassuringly practical from the start: familiar ingredients, a clear sequence, and one handsome centerpiece at the end. When I carried it to the table, the burnished bacon and tidy spiral slices made the effort look far grander than it had felt in the kitchen. Each slice has a juicy layer of turkey wrapped around a savory Cumberland sausage filling, with dried apricots bringing soft, bright pockets of sweetness. Sage, onion, and garlic keep that sweetness grounded, while fresh breadcrumbs bind the center without making it heavy. The bacon across the outside protects the lean breast as it cooks and finishes with crisp, deeply browned edges once the foil comes off. The most helpful part of the method is letting the cooked onion and garlic cool before mixing them into the sausage meat. I found the filling much easier to spread when it stayed firm rather than greasy. Rolling from the long side gives a neat spiral, and strings spaced about 5 cm apart hold the shape without squeezing the stuffing out. Covering first, then uncovering for the final 20 minutes, balances gentle cooking with good color. I would make this when I want the ceremony of a Christmas roast with less carving fuss. The 20 to 30 minute rest is not idle time: it lets the juices settle and the filling firm enough for clean slices. I served it warm with green vegetables and spooned over the juices from the roasting tin; the apricot pieces caught the light in every slice and made the platter feel properly festive.
Foodmitrecipe
Per 1/6 of the cooked roll
Nutrition for Turkey breast with sausage & apricot stuffing
- Saturated fat
- 12 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugars
- 10 g
- Sodium
- 1200 mg
Estimated values. Nutrition values are approximate. More precise calculations will be added in a future update.
How to make Turkey breast with sausage & apricot stuffing
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Step 1
Heat the oven
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6 so it is fully hot by the time the filled turkey is ready to roast.
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Step 2
Soften the onion and garlic
Peel the onion and garlic, then chop both finely. Warm a small drizzle of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook the onion, stirring now and then, until completely translucent. Add the garlic and continue just until it turns golden. Take the pan off the heat and let the mixture cool fully; this keeps the sausage filling firm and easy to handle.
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Step 3
Mix the stuffing
Remove the sausage meat from its casings and put it in a large bowl. Pick and roughly chop the sage leaves, roughly chop the dried apricots, and add both with the fresh breadcrumbs and cooled onion mixture. Mix with clean hands until the fruit, herbs, and crumbs are evenly distributed, without packing the mixture down.
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Step 4
Fill and roll the turkey
Set the butterflied breast skin-side down on a clean chopping board, with a long edge facing you. Spread the stuffing in an even layer over the meat. Starting at the long edge nearest you, roll the turkey up firmly into a compact log. Turn it seam-side down so it holds together while you add the bacon.
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Step 5
Wrap and tie
Lay the streaky bacon rashers crosswise over the full length of the roll. Secure everything with 5 or 6 separate lengths of kitchen string, spacing them about 5 cm apart and knotting them firmly enough to hold the shape. Drizzle the outside with a little olive oil, then season with sea salt and black pepper.
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Step 6
Roast until cooked through
Place the roll in a roasting tin and cover it with foil. Roast for 1 hour 20 minutes in total, using 40 minutes per kilogram if the breast is a different weight. Remove the foil for the final 20 minutes so the bacon can brown and crisp. Pierce the thickest part at the center; the escaping juices should be clear rather than pink.
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Step 7
Rest before carving
Move the roast to a clean board. Cover it loosely with foil and lay a clean tea towel over the top, then leave it undisturbed for 20 to 30 minutes. The rest allows the juices to settle and the stuffing to firm, so the roll is less likely to lose moisture or break apart when sliced. Remove the string before serving.
Before tying, look along the roll from both ends and gently even out any thick or thin spots; a uniform log cooks and slices more consistently.
Turkey breast with sausage & apricot stuffing, ready to serve
Serving ideas for Turkey breast with sausage & apricot stuffing
Choose a presentation that fits the occasion, from relaxed sharing to individual plates.
Christmas lunch platter
Arrange thick, overlapping slices on a warmed oval platter so the sausage-and-apricot spirals remain visible, then spoon a little of the roasting-tin juice around them rather than over the crisp bacon. I like to bring it to a Christmas lunch table with roast potatoes and glossy green vegetables, using simple white tableware so the bronze bacon and golden fruit stay at the center of attention. Keep the unsliced end of the roll nearby under foil and replenish the platter as people serve themselves.
Dinner-party carving board
For a smaller dinner party, carry the rested roll to the table on a sturdy wooden carving board with the strings already removed. Cut several slices in the kitchen to reveal the center, but leave the remaining piece intact for a little tableside drama. Set a shallow bowl of green vegetables and a jug for the warm pan juices alongside it, with a sharp carving knife and a wide server close at hand. This presentation feels generous and relaxed, and guests can choose a thicker or thinner portion without disturbing every slice.
Relaxed family supper
Plate one or two slices per person on warm dinner plates, placing the cut face upward and keeping the crisp bacon edge clear of any juices. Add a generous serving of seasonal greens beside the turkey and spoon the roasting juices into the open space on the plate. I use this simpler arrangement when the roast is the focus of a family supper rather than a formal centerpiece. It preserves the contrast between juicy meat, soft stuffing, and crisp bacon while making the portions easy to carry from kitchen to table.
Let’s cook Turkey breast with sausage & apricot stuffing together
Check off your ingredients, follow each step, and start the timers when you are ready.
Get everything ready
Step-by-step with timers
Heat the oven
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6 so it is fully hot by the time the filled turkey is ready to roast.
Soften the onion and garlic
Peel the onion and garlic, then chop both finely. Warm a small drizzle of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook the onion, stirring now and then, until completely translucent. Add the garlic and continue just until it turns golden. Take the pan off the heat and let the mixture cool fully; this keeps the sausage filling firm and easy to handle.
Mix the stuffing
Remove the sausage meat from its casings and put it in a large bowl. Pick and roughly chop the sage leaves, roughly chop the dried apricots, and add both with the fresh breadcrumbs and cooled onion mixture. Mix with clean hands until the fruit, herbs, and crumbs are evenly distributed, without packing the mixture down.
Fill and roll the turkey
Set the butterflied breast skin-side down on a clean chopping board, with a long edge facing you. Spread the stuffing in an even layer over the meat. Starting at the long edge nearest you, roll the turkey up firmly into a compact log. Turn it seam-side down so it holds together while you add the bacon.
Wrap and tie
Lay the streaky bacon rashers crosswise over the full length of the roll. Secure everything with 5 or 6 separate lengths of kitchen string, spacing them about 5 cm apart and knotting them firmly enough to hold the shape. Drizzle the outside with a little olive oil, then season with sea salt and black pepper.
Roast until cooked through
Place the roll in a roasting tin and cover it with foil. Roast for 1 hour 20 minutes in total, using 40 minutes per kilogram if the breast is a different weight. Remove the foil for the final 20 minutes so the bacon can brown and crisp. Pierce the thickest part at the center; the escaping juices should be clear rather than pink.
Rest before carving
Move the roast to a clean board. Cover it loosely with foil and lay a clean tea towel over the top, then leave it undisturbed for 20 to 30 minutes. The rest allows the juices to settle and the stuffing to firm, so the roll is less likely to lose moisture or break apart when sliced. Remove the string before serving.
The story behind Turkey breast with sausage & apricot stuffing
Recipe notes by Sophie
Why this roast won me over
I first saved this recipe because I admire how Clare Knivett builds a festive centerpiece from straightforward ingredients. Once I cooked it, the appeal became more concrete. A 2 kg butterflied breast was easier for me to season, fill, and judge than a whole turkey, and every cut portion carried some stuffing and bacon. I also liked that the ingredient list made its intentions clear: Cumberland sausage brought savory richness, sage supplied a woodsy note, and the apricots softened into small sweet pieces rather than making the center sugary. The roll looked slightly rustic when I tied it, but the oven did the beautifying. By the time the bacon had browned, it had the confident look of a proper holiday roast. That transformation is one reason I remain such a fan of the chef’s recipe: it respects a home cook’s time while still giving the table a real sense of occasion.
What I learned from the rolling
The assembly taught me that neatness comes from a few calm decisions rather than force. I let the onion mixture lose all its heat before it met the sausage, then used my fingertips to distribute the stuffing evenly. With the long edge of the turkey toward me, I could roll forward in one steady movement and keep the spiral consistent from end to end. The bacon was easiest to arrange after the seam was underneath, because the weight of the roll stopped it shifting around. I tied the middle first, then worked toward the ends while keeping the prescribed spacing of about 5 cm. I did not try to cinch the string as tightly as possible; firm, even loops were enough to hold the roast without pushing the filling out. It was satisfying to see those simple preparations pay off when the first slice kept a distinct ring of turkey around its fragrant center.
The wait that made carving easier
The final stretch tested my impatience more than any technical part of the recipe. For the first hour the foil kept the surface protected, and removing it for the last 20 minutes changed the bacon from soft and pale to crisp-edged and bronze. I checked the middle, saw that the juices ran clear, and moved the roll to a board, but I resisted cutting straight away. Under foil and a tea towel, it rested while I finished the vegetables and warmed the serving platter. After 20 to 30 minutes, the difference was obvious: the knife passed through cleanly, the stuffing stayed inside the spiral, and very little juice escaped onto the board. I served overlapping slices rather than presenting the roll whole, because the apricot-studded center deserved to be seen. That first platter felt celebratory, but it also felt attainable enough that I would happily cook it again.