Spatchcocked Herb Roasted Turkey Recipes

SPATCHCOCK'D ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Four days before cooking, make the rub mixture and season the turkey: Coarsely grind the peppercorns and allspice berries by pulsing 3 to 4 times in a blade-style coffee/spice grinder. Add the dried thyme and pulse 3 more times. Combine the salt, rubbed sage and ground spices in a small bowl and set aside.
• Position the turkey, breast-side down with the tail facing you, on a silicone mat or other stable surface set inside a large sheet pan. Use heavy-duty kitchen shears to cut up one side of the backbone. Turn the bird and cut back down the other side of the spine. Reserve the backbone for stock or gravy. Discard any fat pockets or excess skin found inside the bird. Flip breast-side up and use the heel of your hands to press down on both breasts, until you hear a cracking sound and the bird flattens.
• Place the turkey breast-side up on a rack (I use a standard cooling or cake rack) set inside a sheet pan, and turn the wings backwards, tucking the tips under the forewings. Flip the turkey breast-side down and season with half of the rub mixture. Then flip the bird back breast-side up and season with the remaining mixture.
• Store, uncovered, on the lowest level of your refrigerator for 4 days.
• When ready to cook, allow the turkey to sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Place one oven rack in the center of the oven and a second one just below it. Place an empty roasting pan or large rimmed sheet pan on the lower rack. Crank the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Place the turkey, still on the cooling rack, directly on the center oven rack. Add a cup of water to the pan below to prevent any drippings from smoking. Roast for 30 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and continue to roast the bird until a probe thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 155 degrees F, an additional 40 to 50 minutes.
• Remove the turkey and its rack and rest for 15 minutes before carving. Carryover heat will take the final temperature close to 165 degrees.

SPATCHCOCKED HERB-ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• Place turkey with its breast side down and tail end facing you on a work surface. Using kitchen shears, cut along each side of backbone; remove and save for making gravy. Turn turkey over so breast side is up; flatten by pressing down firmly on breastbone until it cracks. Twist and tuck wings under to secure in place., Mix remaining ingredients; rub onto all sides of turkey. Transfer turkey to a rack in a foil-lined rimmed baking pan. Refrigerate, uncovered, overnight., Preheat oven to 450°. Remove turkey from refrigerator while oven heats. Roast until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reads 170°-175°, 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours. Remove turkey from oven; let stand 15 minutes before carving.

CRISPY-SKINNED HERB-ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• Two days before roasting, rinse, clean and dry the turkey thoroughly. In a food processor, pulse 2 tablespoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, the granulated garlic, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary and orange zest until uniform but still coarse, about 10 times. Rub the inside of the turkey with the salt mix, then carefully slip your fingers under the breast skin and rub a liberal amount under the skin. Flip the turkey on its side and sprinkle more of the salt mixture on the thigh, wing and leg. Repeat on the other side.
• Place the bird in a large zip-top bag or brining bag. (If neither is available, cover with plastic wrap.) Place the bird breast-side up on a wire rack on a sheet pan and then place in the fridge away from any raw food (on a lower shelf). Leave in the fridge for 2 days.
• The night before cooking, remove the turkey from the fridge and take it out of the plastic. The skin should be mostly dry and the salt should be dissolved; if any large patches of moisture are present, wipe with paper towels. Place back in the fridge, uncovered, for another 8 hours to dry out completely.
• On the day of, take the turkey out of the fridge 1 hour before cooking. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Fit a roasting pan with a wire V-rack. Put the turkey on the rack and brush with one-quarter of the melted butter. Roast 30 minutes. Turn the heat down to 325° and continue roasting, basting occasionally with the remaining melted butter, until a thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165 degrees F, about another 2 hours. Let the turkey rest 30 to 45 minutes before carving.
• 5. "This turkey is the perfect blend of moist, seasoned meat and crisp skin. It's the best darned thing I've ever made."
• Special equipment:
• ACTIVE: 30 min TOTAL: 3 hr (plus 2- to 3-day brining and refrigerating) SERVES: 10 to 12

ROAST SPATCHCOCKED TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Stir together oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
• Rinse inside and outside of turkey; pat dry with paper towels. Spatchcock turkey (see our how-to). Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet, breast side up. Let stand for 30 minutes.
• Brush or rub turkey all over with oil mixture. Roast, rotating sheet halfway through and basting twice, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165 degrees, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Let stand for 20 minutes before carving (see our how-to).

EASY HERB-ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Clean turkey (discard giblets and organs), and place in a roasting pan with a lid.
• In a small bowl, combine olive oil, garlic powder, dried basil, ground sage, salt, and black pepper. Using a basting brush, apply the mixture to the outside of the uncooked turkey. Pour water into the bottom of the roasting pan, and cover.
• Bake for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, or until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh measures 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). Remove bird from oven, and allow to stand for about 30 minutes before carving.

ROAST SPATCHCOCK TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place a roasting rack on a baking sheet.
• Turn the turkey over, breast-side down. Using a pair of sharp heavy-duty kitchen shears, cut along one side of the backbone. Repeat on the other side of the backbone. Reserve the backbone for making turkey stock for gravy. Press firmly down onto both sides of turkey to flatten.
• Tuck the wing tips under the turkey and place on the roasting rack. Pat skin dry and rub olive oil over the entire turkey; season with salt, sage, thyme, rosemary, and black pepper.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour 30 minutes, rotating baking sheet every 30 minutes. Increase temperature to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and roast until skin is crisp, about 15 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Remove turkey from the oven, cover loosely with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.