Turkey Wellington

Cooking instructions

1. Prepare the Turkey: Lay out the breast and, if needed, use a sharp knife to butterfly the breast to create an even thickness throughout. Pound slightly if needed Season the turkey breast generously with salt on all sides and set on a sheet tray lined with a wire rack. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Remove from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature at least 30 minutes before cooking. 
2. Cook the Turkey: Preheat the oven to 250˚F (120˚C). 
3. Roll the turkey breast up into a cylindrical shape and use kitchen twine to truss and hold this shape. Tear off a large square of heavy duty aluminum foil and place the trussed turkey breast at the bottom center of the square, closest to you. 
4. Drizzle a tablespoon or two of oil over the turkey and use your hands to coat all over. Clean your hands, then lift the bottom of the square of foil up and over the turkey, carefully but tightly rolling it into a perfect cylinder. Tighten the two ends by twisting like a candy wrapper and tuck them towards the same side as the seam of foil. 
5. Place this, seam side up, on a clean sheet tray lined with a wire rack and place in the oven. Cook for about 2 hours, until a thermometer reads at least 160˚F (71˚C)  when inserted into the very center of the turkey. Let cool for 30 minutes then remove foil to cool further. 
6. Make the Crepes: Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high for 15 - 30 seconds, until the batter is smooth and no pockets of flour remain.  
7. Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Grease the skillet by pouring a small amount of oil into the pan and wiping it all over the surface with a paper towel. Pour a scant ⅓ cup of the batter into the skillet, tilting to coat the surface of the pan evenly. Cook for 1–2 minutes, until the batter looks dry on top. Flip and cook for about another minute, making sure the crepe does not get any color. The crepe should still be pale, soft, and pliable rather than golden and crisp. Transfer the crepe on a baking sheet or plate and while you repeat with the remaining batter, lightly greasing the pan with more shallot oil between crepes.  
8. Make the Stuffing: Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until soft and slightly caramelized, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and let cool for a few minutes. Once cooled, add the remaining ingredients to the large bowl and mix with your hands to combine. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use. 
9. Assemble: Stack the 4 crepes on top of one another and trim the edges to make a large square. 
10. Lay two long pieces of plastic wrap on a work station, overlapping by about 4 inches. Lay the 4 crepes down to make one large square, overlapping each by at least ½-inch. Scoop 2 cups of the stuffing onto the bottom part of the crepe square, and press into another square that starts at the very bottom of the crepe square and reaches about ¾ of the way up the crepe square, leaving a few inches of crepe empty on the top. Press into a solid layer as thin as possible, about ¼-inch thick. Be sure to wash your hands after handling the raw stuffing before moving on to the next step.
11. Carefully cut and remove the twine from the turkey, ensuring that it stays in the cylindrical shape. Place it at the very bottom of the crepe and stuffing square and, letting the plastic wrap do the work for you, tightly and carefully roll upwards away from you until the bottom edge of the crepe reaches the top and overlaps slightly. Use a paring knife to trim off any excess crepe from the top and sides, leaving at least a 1-inch border all around. Tuck in these sides and make sure no plastic wrap is still stuck in between the crepe layers. Roll all the way over the top with the plastic wrap and use the same technique you used to wrap the turkey breast cylinder in foil. Fold the crepe edges on the sides into themselves, creating a tight bundle where no stuffing nor turkey is exposed. Tighten the two ends by twisting like a candy wrapper and tuck them towards the same side as the seam of plastic wrap. 
12. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes. While this freezes, remove the puff pastry from the freezer and let thaw.
13. Once pastry is thawed, you will repeat a similar process to envelope the crepe-covered turkey breast in the puff pastry. Lay two long pieces of plastic wrap on a work station, overlapping by about 4 inches. Using a rolling pin, roll each square of puff pastry to a width that is at least 2 inches wider than the turkey cylinder. The pastry should be about ⅛-inch thin. Brush a thin layer of egg wash on the bottom edge of one pastry square and lay the second pastry square directly below it, overlapping by ½-inch. Use the rolling pin to seal the two pastry squares together. Brush the entire pastry with egg wash. 
14. Remove the crepe cylinder from the freezer and carefully unwrap and discard the plastic wrap. Set the cylinder at the bottom of the pastry rectangle and use the same process to encase the cylinder in the puff pastry. Roll upwards away from you until the bottom edge of the puff pastry reaches the top. Trim away excess pastry, leaving 1-inch extra to overlap. Seal the bottom edge of pastry to the top edge by brushing lightly with the egg wash and pressing together. Trim any excess dough from the sides, leaving just enough to encase the cylinder, about ½-inch. Create a tight bundle again by twisting the ends and rolling back and forth on the work surface. Tuck the ends underneath the seam side and place in the freezer for 15 minutes. 
15. Preheat the oven to 375˚F (190˚C). Place a sheet tray in the oven to preheat as well--this will prevent a soggy bottom.
16. Remove the wellington from the freezer, then remove the plastic wrap and place seam-side down on a piece of parchment paper. Score an appealing pattern on top using the back of a paring knife, then brush the entire surface with egg wash. Sprinkle with flaky salt. Carefully remove the hot sheet tray from the oven, lift the parchment paper and wellington onto the hot tray and return to the oven. 
17. Cook for 40-45 minutes, until the puff pastry is a deep golden brown. Rotate the pan 180˚ halfway through baking and, if desired, brush a second time with the egg wash. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving. Serve with cranberry sauce alongside.