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a2gemini_gw

Spatchcocking Turkeys?

a2gemini
9 years ago

I recently read about this technique and have been testing it with chickens.
It seems to work great with chickens.
I want to try it with my turkey but am concerned it will be too big for the oven once it is butterflied.

The turkey is 13.3 lbs and was alive yesterday morning. We picked it up at the turkey farm last night.

I have a Wolf oven and recently picked up a 3/4 sheet pan. I plan to line it with heavy duty foil. I have a cooling rack that might work, so I can put the carrots, celery and onions under the rack.

I plan to put perforated parchment paper on top of the rack and put stuffing on top of the paper to get some "inny" stuffing.

Has anyone tried using this technique?
How large was your turkey?
How large is your oven?
What size pan did you use?
How long did it take to cook?

Any pearls of wisdom appreciated

Thanks

Comments (22)

  • rococogurl
    9 years ago

    Always have done chickens this way for 30 years, often with stuffing under the skin.

    No reason why it wouldn't work with a turkey. If you remove the wishbone in advance it will make carving much easier.

    With this technique you want bones touching the pan to help generate heat from both sides. A rack is completely counterintuitive and I wouldn't put foil on the pan either since it can stick and it's too heavy to remove anything under it.

    I would Pam the pan first. Veggies could go around. If the pan is deep enough it could be basted.

    I'd do stuffing under the skin or separately in this case and pour any pan juices over.

  • christina222_gw
    9 years ago

    Should fit fine. I've done it with a 14lb turkey in a 30" oven. Plenty of room.

  • a2gemini
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Rocco and Christina - thanks

    Rocco - all of the videos I have seen show the turkey on a grid. I think BA didn't put on a grid.
    What pan do you use? I might try it directly on the pan. I was thinking elevating it on the grid would allow drippings to drop into the pan without having the turkey swimming.

    Christina - how long did your 14 lb take to cook?

    My DB is having a hissy fit about this concept. LOL

  • christina222_gw
    9 years ago

    It's been a while but it didn't take long. I cooked it on convection roast, I want to say about an hour? Guessing though.

  • Bunny
    9 years ago

    Wow! This is a revelation to me. I had never heard of spatchcocking before. This makes so much sense.

  • rococogurl
    9 years ago

    No idea about the videos. What/who is BA?

    What people do today sometimes makes no sense to me, as in this case (of course there are brilliant new techniques.)

    Historically, it's a wood-burning oven technique. I've done it on the bbq and in the oven. I've seen it done in ceramic casseroles and, in Italy, they sometimes put a hot brick on top of the bird to help it cook better.

    I've always used a roasting pan. Biggest one you can find (depending on turkey size) and no less than 2 inches deep.
    I don't worry about juices in the bottom of the pan as those keep the turkey moist and gain in flavor with basting.

    If you don't want to Pam then pan then I'd smear it with olive oil. I always want the direct heat on those bones to radiate from the bottom. With a rack (why I say it's counterintuitive) you wouldn't get the direct heat going through the bones. Plus you'd get less browning directly on the pan, and resulting less deep flavor that comes from it.

    If I were doing this technique I would split & flatten it the night before and put it on a big cake rack set over a cookie sheet, pat it dry, and leave it in there overnight, unwrapped to dry a bit. If you're stuffing under the skin then rub that with olive oil to keep it supple overnight. Then flat into the roaster.

    Just like a regular turkey I'd take it out of the fridge and put it in a cool place at least 4-6 hours in advance.

    My chickens, stuffed under the skin, cook in 1 hour but I start them in a hot oven. Cooking time will vary with starting temp and chill. I start paying attention at 155F.

    Does the video show how to cut slits in the skin to tuck in the drumsticks? Easier to handle when cooked.

  • joygreenwald
    9 years ago

    Ever since I found out that Bridget (or was it Julia?) From America's Test Kitchen always butterflies and flattens her own birds, I have too. It's easier and faster.

    I make studding in a casserole dish with turkey wings on top. It gets good and filled with turkey flavor, but it's easier (and safer) than stuffing a bird.

    My last year's turkey got rave reviews.

  • eam44
    9 years ago

    Cooks Illustrated high roast turkey. Works beautifully.

    Here is a link that might be useful: NPR

  • perky_2
    9 years ago

    We have cooked turkey's so many ways - the butterflied is by far my favorite, and the easiest. I brine it after butterflying it (the day before cooking).

    I use the oven broiler pan and wire rack (the kind used for cooling cookies). Underneath the wire rack I put veggies (potatoes, whole carrots, quartered onions, celery).

    Time depends on the size but mine are usually around an hour and a half for a 12-16 lb bird.

    After doing a turkey this way I started using this method for roasting chickens - same awesomeness.

    Good luck!

    Here is a link that might be useful: Butterflied Turkey

  • bmorepanic
    9 years ago

    There is also half-a-spatchcock. Remove the leg quarters and the back/neck, wingtips and wishbone. Leave the ribs. Cooks almost as quickly and can be "arranged" on the plater to look like a turkey. I agree with rococo not to do a rack and just place in a roasting pan over your veg.

    This year, I'm going to try turning the leg quarters into boneless rolled roasts with the leg skin on the outside. I'm pushing out the boat out well past my current butchery skills, tho and have no idea how it will turn out... Even if I screw it up, I'll still have fun and a load of boneless dark meat.

  • alex9179
    9 years ago

    A2

    I've been obsessed with the website I've linked to below, lately. The Food Lab entries are a lot of fun to read, and he's posted several about preparing/cooking turkeys for the season.

    His spatchcocked bird is in the link. If you're interested in the Food Lab entry, click on the last link in the "About This Recipe" box called How to Cook a Spatchcocked Turkey...

    Here is a link that might be useful: SeriousEats roast turkey

  • a2gemini
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks for all of the helpful comments!
    Alex- I watched his video a couple days ago.
    Of interest, he uses the rack and others say no rack - so have to toss a coin.

    Bmore- if I cut the back and I run out of real estate - I can chop off the legs. Great idea

    Perky - wow- that is fast!

    EAMM- will check the cooks website - I think I was on it yesterday but will verify

    Joy - great idea for the wings!

    Rocco - hoping my sheet pan will be deep enough. My broiler pan is deeper but not as big as my 3/4 sheet pan. Thanks for the tips

  • alex9179
    9 years ago

    See, I don't think it's counter intuitive to use a rack. Getting the heat/heated air to all sides makes more sense to me. Of course, my cooking knowledge is average and only growing because of others' info. I do roast chicken on a rack so that the heat is even around the bird and we devour the results. I'll put veggies below the rack for an extra special meal. All those drippings!

    Kenji's food lab entry explains why it works. I tend to trust someone who's willing take the time to try out different methods.

  • oldbat2be
    9 years ago

    BA=Bon Appetit? (Cover this month is a spatch-cooked turkey; lots of great other recipes).

    A2- I am thinking about doing this too! Will you be removing the backbone and prepping it? What does DB not like about this - presentation? He will be a convert, I'm sure, after the meal! Post some pictures please if you think of it:) Best, oldbat2be

  • sombreuil_mongrel
    9 years ago

    If it didn't have such a sketchy-sounding name, it might catch on.
    The idea of cooking the big bird in 90mins. is tempting.
    Where can I buy the fine-mesh screen grill thing to fit a pan? Do you use a full-sheet pan or 1/2 sheet? I have loads of 1/2-sheet jelly roll pans I use for roasting and baking. But no fine-mesh screen grill to cover it, just a regular cooling-rack kind of grill. Will that work?
    My oven will take a full-sheet pan 18x27; would that be better?
    Casey

  • alex9179
    9 years ago

    Casey, it's just a variation of rack. You can find several on Amazon with measurements and use whatever fits in your pan/oven. As long as the turkey gets heat from all sides, it will work. Sagging can be a problem and the close spacing alleviates that.

    If you have a restaurant supply store close, they will likely have tons of pans and the racks that fit.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Cooling/Baking racks

  • new-beginning
    9 years ago

    this works also, if you don't want to spatchcock it (I have tried doing the 2 hour turkey and it turned out just fine).

    http://www.randalls.com/ShopStores/Recipe-Search.page?contentURL=http://recipes.safeway.com/recipe/214070/Two-Hour-Turkey.aspx

    CMM

  • a2gemini
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Hi all
    Here is our update.
    A friend loaned me a pair of heavy duty shears designed to cut bone.
    We cut the back bone, took out the wish bone and flattened the rib cage.
    I decided to use the 3/4 sheet pan.
    Veggies are chopped and about to start cooking the stuffing. Hoping to put bird in the oven ~3:30.
    My brother took a video - not for the faint of heart as the cracking ribs is audible.

  • OOTM_Mom
    9 years ago

    I am trying it. Problem my Mom's oven wont hold a pan large enough for a 20 pound spatchcocked turkey! Had to cut off legs and wings! This was not a time saver, took so long to cut out backbone, with her very cheap poultry scissors. What a pain! Hope it comes out perfect...

  • smalloldhouse
    9 years ago

    I was intimidated by the whole turkey roasting thing, so I do a recipe called Deconstructed Turkey, which is vaguely similar in concept (although, helpfully at least for wimps like me, the idea is that you buy all the parts separately.)

    Here is a link that might be useful: Deconstructed Turkey recipe

  • OOTM_Mom
    9 years ago

    It was very good. Cooked to 155 for the breast and then let rest. Nice and moist! Legs cooked to 165. No one here eats the legs though...not sure why i bother cooking a whole bird. I am stuffed! I would spatchcock again!

  • a2gemini
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Turkey is smelling so good!
    About to head back to kitchen to get sides going.
    Roasted butternut soup
    Roasted Brussels( cheated on this one)
    Mashed potatoes
    Green beans
    Gravy
    We nuked the roasted sweet potatoes