Forty-Five Minute Roast Turkey

Spatchcocked Turkey!

Mark Bittman's Forty-Five Minute Roast Turkey

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2008...urkey-in-45-minutes.html?ref=thanksgiving_day

One 8-12 pound turkey
10 or more garlic cloves -- lightly crushed
Several sprigs fresh tarragon or thyme or several pinches dried
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil or butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

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).

Let the bird rest for a few minutes before carving, then serve with the garlic cloves and pan juices. (Or make Turkey Gravy.) Or serve at room temperature.

NOTES : It's almost a given that time and oven space are at a premium on Thanksgiving Day, and this method of roasting turkey, unorthodox as it is, addresses both. Split, flattened, and roasted at 450 degrees (lowering the heat if the bird browns too fast), a 10-pound bird will be done in about 40 minutes. Really. It will also be more evenly browned (all of the skin is exposed to the heat), more evenly cooked (the legs are more exposed; the wings shield the breasts), and moister than birds cooked conventionally. But it works only for relatively small turkeys. Makes: At least 10 servings
 

Leni

New member
Sounds like a good way to cook it on the BBQ. I don't think that I'm going to cook a whole turkey this year. It's just going to be the three of us and a breast should be more than enough. I just may try brining it this year for the first time. Any feedback from those who have done that? I'm also considering the dry salt method.
 

Doc

Administrator
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Interesting CC. Are you going to try it that way this year?

I brined one time and it was awesome. Moistest turkey ever. I smoked that one outside. Wife is doing the turkey the old fashioned way ...in the oven this year and she plans to brine like we did the smoked one.
 
Doc;207891[B said:
]Interesting CC. Are you going to try it that way this year[/B]?...

If I can find a bird 10 lbs or under, for later on ;-). Think it would be great on the grill (like spatchcock chicken) for all the grillers out there.
 
Top