Spatchcock Roast Turkey

Butterflying your turkey cuts down on the cook time on your turkey. A huge plus if you're short on oven space. 

Let's get started. 

Spatchcock Roast Turkey
1 8-12, lb.  Turkey, Spatchcocked (Reserve the backbone)
1 Head of Garlic, peeled, cloves left whole and lightly crushed
2 Lemons
1 Onion, quartered 
3 Tbsp. Thyme, finely chopped - plus more whole sprigs
3 Tbsp. Rosemary, finely chopped - plus more whole sprigs
2 Tbsp. Sage, finely chopped - plus more whole sprigs
4 Tbsp. Salt
1 Tbsp. Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Tbsp. Garlic Powder
1 Tbsp. Onion Powder
4 Tbsp. Olive Oil
8 Tbsp. Butter, cubed

To spatchcock a turkey, all you have to do is run kitchen shears along both sides of the backbone of the turkey, then flip so the breast is right side up and press firmly down until it is lying flat.

In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, rosemary, and sage; mix until well combined. 

Rub the olive oil all over the turkey and season with seasoning mix on both sides. In the bottom of your roasting dish or oven safe pan toss in the onion, garlic, and a couple of springs of thyme, rosemary, and sage.

Lay your turkey on top and squeeze the lemon all over and toss in the lemon pieces in the pan.

Add the herbs and the butter to the top of the turkey and bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the turkey reads 165 degrees F.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 10-15 minutes. Reserve any juices the turkey has let out as you will be using these in your gravy. 

Cut up your turkey into pieces. Discard the onion, and lemon pieces. Reserve the garlic cloves (my family loves these) if you're not a big fan you can also discard them.

Serve and enjoy.


Gravy
Backbone of the turkey
1 Clove of Garlic, minced
1/4 of an Onion, sliced
1 Stalk of Celery, chopped
2-3 Sprigs of Thyme, roughly chopped
2 Sprigs of Rosemary, roughly chopped
2 Sprigs of Sage, roughly chopped
1 Tsp. Salt
1 Tsp. Black Pepper
4 Cups of Water
1 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
3 Tbsp. Butter
3 Tbsp. All Purpose Flour

In a medium pot, heat up the vegetable oil. Add in the backbone and season with salt and pepper. Sear until the backbone develops some color on all sides. 

Add in the thyme, rosemary, sage, garlic, onion, celery, and sauté for another 3-4 minutes.

Add in the water and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce the heat and let simmer for 45 minutes, stirring every once in a while. 

Drain your stock and let sit until the chicken is finished. Once it is, combine your stock with the juices the roasted chicken has let off and bring to a simmer.

Meanwhile, in a separate pot. Melt the butter and add in the flour to make a roux. Let cook for 1-2 minutes stirring constantly. 

Add in three cups of your stock one cup at a time while whisking until the stock and the flour mixture is combined. Let cook until thickened 3-4 minutes. If it is too thick for you, you can add 1/4 cup of stock to loosen it up. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.

Remove from heat and enjoy.

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