Chef Brooke Williamson’s Thanksgiving shortcut to a better turkey? Spatchcocking—removing the backbone so it lies flat for faster roasting, juicier meat, and shatteringly crisp skin.
Brooke Williamson
In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, garlic powder, brown sugar, paprika, coriander, and fennel pollen.
Pat the spatchcocked turkey dry with paper towels and liberally rub the spice mixture on both sides of the turkey in every crevice and under the skin. Place the dry rubbed turkey on a wire rack over a rimmed Sheet Pan and refrigerate uncovered for 12–24 hours.
When ready to roast, preheat the oven to 375F.
Place the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, oranges, lemons, thyme, rosemary, oregano, and sage leaves in the bottom of a large Stainless Clad Roasting Pan. Add 2 cups of chicken stock and evenly scatter the butter over the top. Place the turkey, skin side up, over the vegetables (or on a rack set above them).
Roast turkey, basting every 30 minutes with pan juices, until the internal temperature of the breast reaches 135–140F, about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours. Increase the oven temperature to 400F and continue roasting until the skin is golden brown and crispy and the turkey temperature is 160F in the breast and 170–175F in the thigh, another 30–45 minutes.
Let the turkey rest for 20 minutes before carving.