Herb-Glazed Turkey Slices — The Sunday After the Second Arrest

Cody was arrested Wednesday afternoon. The phone call came at four-thirty PM. Possession with intent, his second offense. The bond is fifty thousand dollars. Aunt Tammy in Tulsa wired the bond money to Mrs. Patel (Cody’s public defender from the first case) at the courthouse Thursday morning and Cody walked out Thursday afternoon back to the halfway house, which has agreed to keep him through the pre-sentencing-investigation period if he passes weekly drug screens. He has been quiet since.

Mama drove out to Tulsa Wednesday night and stayed at Aunt Tammy’s through Friday. She came home Saturday morning. She did not say much when she walked through the door. I had not slept Wednesday night, Thursday night, or Friday night. The factory had given me Thursday and Friday off without asking too many questions when I had called the line manager Wednesday at five PM and told him the bare facts.

Sunday I made herb-glazed turkey slices because Mama had asked me at the kitchen table Saturday afternoon to make a Sunday dinner that looked like a Sunday dinner. She said: baby, the world has gotten loud this week. Sunday is the only quiet thing we have. Make Sunday look like Sunday. I had nodded. Sliced turkey breast roasted with a glaze of butter, fresh herbs, garlic, and chicken broth. Mashed potatoes. Green beans. Gravy. The dinner arrived at the table at six PM the way Sunday dinners have arrived at six PM in this kitchen since I was fourteen. Cody was not at the table. Mama and I sat in our two seats. We ate. We did not talk about Wednesday. The kitchen held what we could not say.

Herb-Glazed Turkey Slices

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 2 lbs turkey breast, sliced about 1/2 inch thick
• 3 tablespoons butter, divided
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup chicken broth

Instructions

1. Season the turkey. Pat turkey slices dry with paper towels. Season both sides evenly with salt and pepper and let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
2. Make the herb glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together honey, Dijon mustard, soy sauce, rosemary, thyme, and minced garlic until well combined. Set aside.
3. Sear the slices. Heat 1 tablespoon butter and the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches if needed, add turkey slices in a single layer and sear 3—4 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature 165°F). Transfer to a plate.
4. Build the pan sauce. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet. Once melted, pour in the chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
5. Add the glaze. Pour the herb-honey glaze into the skillet and stir to combine with the pan drippings. Simmer 2—3 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon.
6. Finish and serve. Return turkey slices to the skillet and spoon the glaze over each piece. Cook 1—2 minutes more until the turkey is well coated and heated through. Serve immediately with extra glaze spooned over the top.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 290 | Protein: 38g | Fat: 12g | Carbs: 7g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 420mg