45 Minute Roast Turkey Mark Bittman Recipes

ROAST SPATCHCOCK TURKEY

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Put turkey on a stable cutting board breast side down and cut out backbone. Turn turkey over, and press on it to flatten. Put it, breast side up, in a roasting pan. Wings should partly cover breasts, and legs should protrude a bit.
• Tuck garlic and tarragon under the bird and in the nooks of the wings and legs. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.
• Roast for 20 minutes, undisturbed. Turkey should be browning. Remove from oven, baste with pan juices, and return to oven. Reduce heat to 400 degrees (if turkey browns too quickly, reduce temperature to 350 degrees).
• Begin to check turkey's temperature about 15 minutes later (10 minutes if bird is on the small side). It is done when thigh meat registers 165 degrees on an instant-read meat thermometer. Check it in a couple of places.
• Let turkey rest for a few minutes before carving, then serve with garlic cloves and pan juices.

ROAST TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place turkey in roasting pan; brush with oil or butter, and season with salt and pepper.
• Place turkey in oven, and roast for 40 to 60 minutes, depending on size, basting with the pan juices every 15 minutes or so. Begin checking every few minutes with an instant-read thermometer; turkey is ready when the thermometer reads 155 degrees. Remove the turkey from the oven, and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes (during which time its internal temperature will rise to about 160 degrees) before carving and serving.

CLASSIC ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 500. Rinse the turkey and remove the giblets. Loosely pack the turkey cavity with stuffing, then tie the legs together to enclose the vent. Smear the bird all over with butter or brush it with olive oil, then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.
• Put the turkey on a rack in a large roasting pan. Add ½ cup water to the bottom of the pan along with the turkey neck, gizzard, any other trimmings, the vegetables and parsley. Put in the oven, legs first if you can.
• Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the top begins to brown, then turn the heat down to 350. Continue to roast, checking and basting with the pan juices every 30 minutes or so; if the top threatens to brown too much, lay a piece of aluminum foil directly onto it. (If the bottom dries out, add water, about ½ cup at a time; keep at least a little liquid in the bottom of the pan at all times.) The turkey is done when a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh measures 155 to165 degrees. If, when the turkey is nearly done, the top is not browned enough, turn the heat up to 425 for the last 20 to 30 minutes of cooking.
• Remove the turkey from the oven. Take the bird off the rack and let it sit for about 20 minutes before carving.

45 MINUTE ROAST TURKEY (MARK BITTMAN)

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 450°F Put the turkey on a stable cutting board, breast side down, and cut out the backbone. Turn the bird over and press on it to flatten. Put it breast side up in a roasting pan that will accommodate it (a slightly snug fit is okay). The wings should partially cover the breasts, and the legs should protrude a bit.
• Tuck the garlic and the herb under the bird and in the nooks of the wings and legs. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.
• Roast for 20 minutes, undisturbed. By this time the bird should be browning; remove it from the oven, baste with the pan juices, and return it to the oven. Reduce the heat to 400°F (or 350°F if it seems to be browning very quickly).
• Begin to check the bird's temperature about 15 minutes later (10 minutes if the bird is on the small side). It is done when the thigh meat measures 155-165°F on an instant-read meat thermometer; check it in a couple of places.
• Let the bird rest for a few minutes before carving, then serve with the garlic cloves and pan juices. Or serve at room temperature.