How to Spatchcock your Turkey

My favorite holiday of the year is fast approaching, Thanksgiving Day.  It's my favorite holiday because it's all about, eating fantastic food all day, hanging with family and friends and watching some football.  Nothing better.

Last year we spatchcocked our turkey and we will be doing the same again this year.  This is the best way to evenly cook your bird and it's roasted in half the time it would take to roast a bird in its normal form.  I'm not a fan of cooking the stuffing inside of the turkey, so spatchcocking worked perfectly for us.  Since all of the skin is exposed at once during the roasting time, it 'll become very crispy and with the shorter cooking time, the meat will be extremely tender and juicy.  

Spatchcocking, you really can't go wrong with this method of roasting a turkey, unless you're one of those who wants the full roasted bird to sit on your Thanksgiving table before being carved.

I followed the Bon Appetit method of spatchcocking.

Steps:

* With turkey breast side down, use poultry shears (and some pretty good strength) to cut along both sides of the backbone.  Set the backbone aside and save it for stock.

* Open up the turkey and use the tip of a knife to score alongside of the keel bone (which is the dark oblong bone in the center of the breast).  By scoring alongside this bone, it makes it easier to flatten out the turkey.

* Turn the skin side up.  Press down firmly with the heel of your hands on the center of the breast to flatten it out.  You should hear a crack and feel the bones give way and the bird will fatten.  (I wasn't quite strong enough to achieve this part but Dominic had no problem)

Roasting Your Spatchcocked Turkey

12-14 pound turkey

Kosher salt

a few sprigs of rosemary

1 T fresh thyme leaves

2 tsp ground pepper

2 onions, quartered

4 carrots, peeled and halved

4 celery stalks

3 heads garlic, halved

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 450.

Rinse and pat dry your turkey.

Place onions, carrots, garlic, celery, thyme and rosemary sprigs in the baking tray.  

Lay your spatchcoked turkey on the vegetables, skin side up.  Sprinkle salt and pepper on turkey. Mix the melted butter with the oil and brush on the turkey skin.  Add 1/2 cup water to pan and roast for 30 minutes.  Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to roast, brushing with oil every 20 minutes.  The skin will be a deep golden brown and the temperature gauge, inserted into the thickest part of the thigh should read 165 degrees before you take it out of the oven.  About 1 1/2 hours total time in the oven.  Remove bird, tent with foil and let rest for 30 minutes before carving.

I can't wait to do this again this year!