Here is a turkey for when time and oven space are at a premium. The bird is butchered before cooking, its backbone removed (a technique called spatchcocking) and its legs separated, increasing the amount of surface area exposed to the oven’s heat and decreasing the amount of cooking time dramatically. The overall height of the turkey also comes down, so two turkeys may fit in the oven, or one turkey and a baking pan filled with dressing. As with a whole bird, you should tent the meat with foil when it has finished cooking, and allow it to rest for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Ingredients

  • 1 12- to 18-pound turkey, thawed, with giblets and neck removed
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
  • 2 stalks celery, cleaned and roughly chopped
  • Fresh herbs to taste – thyme, sage, and rosemary all work well (optional)
  • 3 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1 ½ tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and cut into small pats
  • Nutritional Information
    • Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

      868 calories; 37 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 8 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 122 grams protein; 423 milligrams cholesterol; 2382 milligrams sodium

    • Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.

12 or more servings

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place the turkey on a cutting board with its breast side down, and using a very sharp knife or cleaver, cut out the bird’s backbone.
  2. Turn the turkey over and use your knife or cleaver to remove the legs and thighs. Using cleaver, cut thighs into large chunks.
  3. Press down on the turkey breasts to flatten the carcass and then, using cotton butcher’s twine, truss the wings tight to the bird.
  4. Place the turkey parts in one large roasting pan. Tuck between them onion, celery pieces, and, if using, herbs, and shower with salt and pepper. Dot turkey pieces with pats of butter.
  5. Place pan in a 450 degree oven for 30 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 degrees and baste with accumulated juices.
  6. Start to check the temperature of the breast and the thigh meat roughly 15 minutes later, and remove them from the oven when they have reached 165 degrees. As with a whole bird, you should tent the meat with foil and allow it to rest for at least 30 minutes.

About 2 hours

Dining and Cooking