spatchcock turkey on a bed of veggies

Spatchcock Turkey

Some of this content is taken from an article from American's Test Kitchen. They do more testing than we ever could. Their explanation of how to do this is easy to understand.
Spatchcocking a turkey involves cutting out the backbone so that the bird can be laid flat for roasting. After this minor surgery, the white and dark meat, will both cook to perfection without manipulation or the need for a special setup. That’s because the legs and thighs, previously tucked beneath the breast, now lie alongside it, outstretched in a single plane. In this arrangement, the leg quarters cook at nearly the same rate as the breast since they receive heat from all sides. Also, because all of the skin is face up, every inch of it will be directly exposed to the heat of the oven and transformed into a bronzed, crackling treat. 
More a full read of Erica Turner's article head here.

Spatchcock Turkey

Jennifer

Dare I say, it's the best way to cook a turkey. It's also the fastest way to cook a turkey aside from deep frying.

For 8 pounds of turkey, use 1/4 cup of Big Tom's Roasting Rub and Brine spice and 3 Tbsp of Steakhouse seasoning. For a bigger bird, you'll use more spice.Add 1/4 cup of olive oil to create a paste.

Season all over the turkey, since it's flat after spatchcocking, it's easy to get the seasoning paste everywhere. Feel free to place some under the breast skin.

Spatchcock Turkey

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup Big Tom’s Roasting Rub and Brine spices

  • 3 Tbsp Steakhouse seasoning

  • olive oil

  • 10-12 lb turkey

  • 4-6 Tbsp butter

Directions

  1. For 8-10 pounds of turkey, use 1/4 cup of Big Tom's Roasting Rub and Brine spice and 3 Tbsp of Steakhouse seasoning. For a bigger bird, you'll use more spice.

  2. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil to create a paste.

  3. Season all over the turkey, since it's flat after spatchcocking, it's easy to get the seasoning paste everywhere.  Feel free to place some under the breast skin.

  4. Place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.

  5. Place 2 Tbsp of butter under the skin on each breast.

  6. Place flat in a roasting pan on top of your dressing or potatoes or sliced onions. These juice from the turkey will enhance the flavor of any of those. a section of foil over just the breast meat.

  7. Place a section of foil over just the breast meat.

  8. Roast at 425 for 30 minutes.

  9. Reduce the heat to 325 and remove the foil on the breasts.

  10. Baste with butter and continue cooking until the thigh measures 175 and the breast is 155.

  11. Let the turkey rest for 30 minutes after cooking. Carve and enjoy!

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