Say what? Yep, spatchcocking is a thing. It reduces cook time (read; no dry turkey) and exposes all of the skin to the oven heat (read; no soggy skin). If you don't have a big butcher knife, strong scissors or a multitool work to cut through the backbone. Or, a CLEAN pair of pruning shears (no judgement). Or, you can ask your butcher or farmer to spatchcock the turkey for you if you're purchasing a fresh bird.
Ingredients
or12-lb turkey, fresh or frozen (thawed completely in the refrigerator or a cooler)
or3 sticks of salted butter
or1 bottle of dry white wine (750ml) (not cooking wine)
or4 large carrots, cut in half lengthwise (no need to peel)
or1 large onion, quartered
or2 teaspoons Kosher salt
or1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
or2 tablespoons fresh thyme
or2 cups 2% or whole milk
or1/4 cup all-purpose flour (not self-rising)
or2 cups chicken/turkey/vegetable stock (optional; for extra gravy if needed)
Preparation
1.
For the turkey; take the turkey out of the freezer AT LEAST FOUR DAYS IN ADVANCE. It takes about 24 hours per four pounds to thaw a turkey in the fridge (or in a cooler). Remove the bag of giblets, the turkey neck, and the pop-up thermometer. Rinse the bird and pat dry. Flip her over onto a clean cutting board or hard surface so that the backbone is facing up. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.2.
Technically, spatchcocking is removing the backbone from the bird. You can always cut through it, instead, if the bones are too dense.
If you are going to go for the easier method, cut through the backbone all the way from top to bottom. If you are going to go for it, carefully cut down one side of the backbone, then the other. Some of the bones towards the bottom end of the bird can be pretty thick, so please be careful. 3.
Once you've either cut through or completely removed the backbone (don't throw the backbone away, it's getting cooked with the turkey), open her up like a book and cut through the breastbone (this will help flatten her out for even cooking). Flip her back over so the skin side is up. Pat dry with a paper towel once more. 4.
In a large roasting pan, spread out the carrots, onions, and various turkey parts (neck, giblets, backbone). Squeeze the lemons over the bird then add them to the pan. Season with salt, pepper, and thyme. Lay the turkey, skin side up, over the vegetables. 5.
In a medium saucepan, melt together the butter and white wine (don't bring it to a boil). Unfold a big piece of cheesecloth, then fold back up into squares so that you can dip it in the wine mixture. Submerge the cheesecloth into the wine, then transfer it to the bird. Carefully unfold over her so that she is completely covered with the cheesecloth. There will be leftover wine; we will use this to baste the turkey while she's cooking. Or you can dip bread in it. No judgement.6.
Put her in the oven at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, pour some of the wine/butter mixture over the cheesecloth. Reduce the heat to 375, and cook for another 30 minutes. Repeat with the basting. Continue this, every 30 minutes, until she's done (you might run out of melted butter/wine in the saucepan, but you can use what is in the bottom of the roasting pan if you have a baster or a big ladle). Baking time for the turkey will be about 2 hours, give or take. She's done when she registers an internal temp of 165 degrees in the thickest part of the breast meat (you can get an inexpensive thermometer from the grocery store, or invest in an instant read). It's important to remember that she's going to continue to cook when you take her out of the oven, so anything over 165 and she might get dry. 7.
When you remove the cheesecloth after the turkey comes out of the oven, be careful to not take any of the skin with it. If you feel like your turkey needs a little more color, you can turn on the broiler and put her back in for a few minutes; the broiler is very high heat, so watch her carefully so she doesn't burn.8.
All of the juices from the bottom of the roasting pan will go to make the gravy, so don't throw them away! Carefully transfer the turkey to a large platter so she can rest. Carefully pour all of the juices into a large saucepan. You should have about two cups. More is fine (who doesn't like gravy?), but if you have less, you can add chicken, turkey, or vegetable stock to make it at least two cups. Discard the vegetables and turkey parts.9.
In a shaker bottle or a blender, combine the flour and milk until it's smooth (no one wants a lumpy gravy). Bring the stock to a boil on the stove over medium-high heat. Using a whisk or spoon, start to swirl the stock around and then slowly pour some of the milk mixture into the stock. Continue to slowly add the milk/flour mixture to the stock, and don't stop stirring! Once it starts boiling again, it will start to thicken. 10.
In a shaker bottle or a blender, combine the flour and milk until it's smooth (no one wants a lumpy gravy). Bring the stock to a boil on the stove over medium-high heat. Using a whisk or spoon, start to swirl the stock around and then slowly pour some of the milk mixture into the stock. Continue to slowly add the milk/flour mixture to the stock, and don't stop stirring! Once it starts boiling again, it will start to thicken. 11.
In a shaker bottle or a blender, combine the flour and milk until it's smooth (no one wants a lumpy gravy). Bring the stock to a boil on the stove over medium-high heat. Using a whisk or spoon, start to swirl the stock around and then slowly pour some of the milk mixture into the stock. Continue to slowly add the milk/flour mixture to the stock, and don't stop stirring! Once it starts boiling again, it will start to thicken. Continue to stir, reducing the heat to medium-low, and cook for about 5 minutes. Take a taste, and see if it needs any seasoning. If you feel like the gravy is too thick, you can add more stock, 1 cup at a time, until you get your desired consistency. 12.
Carve the turkey, then serve with the gravy for passing.
