Roasted Spatchcocked Turkey

I've roasted turkeys for years. I've brined, basted, fretted and fussed. This year, I found THE only method I will ever use when preparing the Thanksgiving Turkey. If you're not familiar with the term "spatchcock," it simply means to remove the backbone from the bird, and flattening the turkey out so that it roasts evening and in MUCH less time.

1 15 - 18 pound turkey, giblets removed and patted dry with paper towels

1 stick butter, melted

Salt

Pepper

Herbes de Provence

Using poultry shears or heavy duty scissors, remove the backbone from the turkey. Simply follow the backbone on either side, you may have to use a little extra effort when passing through the rib bones.

Save the backbone for making turkey stock! If you're not going to make it immediately, wrap in foil and freeze. 

Turn turkey breast side up. Press downward on the breastbone until you feel/hear a crack. When the breast bone breaks, continue pressing downward until the turkey is as flat as possible.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place a rack on a large baking sheet. Place turkey breast side up. Tuck wing tips underneath breast. Using a pastry or silicone brush, lightly coat turkey completely with the melted butter. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and herbes de provence. 

Place in oven and roast for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, brush with more butter and rotate pan when returning to oven. Roast another 30 minutes and repeat until internal temperature at the thigh should be 165º. This turkey roasted about 1 3/4 hours.

As you can see, the color was a beautiful golden brown. If yours needs a little extra browning, increase oven temp to 400 and roast another 15 minutes or so.