CHASKA, Minn. — It's turkey time!
There is no ONE way to cook a turkey. You can wet brine it, dry brine it, smoke it, fry it, or just good old-fashioned roast it in the oven.
But there is a way to cut down on the cooking time significantly.
It's called Spatch-cocking.
Beth Fisher, a longtime local Twin Cities chef who is now the Arboretum's new Culinary Lead for Adult Education, joined KARE 11 Saturday to demonstrate.
RECIPE: Spatchcock Turkey with Bacon-Sage Butter
Ingredients
- 1 12-14 pound whole turkey, fresh or thawed
- 1 recipe sage-bacon butter (below)
- 4 c. onion, diced
- 4 c. carrots, washed and sliced into 1-inch pieces
- 2 c. parsnips, washed and sliced into 1-inch pieces
- 2 c. celery, washed and sliced into 1-inch pieces
- 1 bunch fresh thyme, 10-12 sprigs
- 4 whole fresh bay leaves (or 2 dried)
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
Directions
Make the sage-bacon butter recipe first and set aside at room temperature.
Check the turkey cavities, pulling out any giblets that might be stashed inside the bird. Save all giblets and the backbone for making a broth/gravy.
Cut, using sharp kitchen/poultry shears, along both sides of the backbone and remove it.
Look inside the open cavity to locate the breast bone and give it a good score with the tip of your knife.
Flip the bird breast-side-up and press down firmly on the breast to make the bird lay flat.
Pull the legs out and tuck the wing tips under. Remove any extra skin around the neck opening and reserve for broth/gravy. You now have your bird spatchcocked.
Pat the skin dry with paper towels and rub the bird all over with the bacon-sage butter, making sure you get a fair amount under the breast skin, too. (Don't try to get it under the leg skin; just rub the outside of the legs.)
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Adjust the oven rack to the middle of the oven.
Prepare veggies as outlined above.
Combine in a large bowl with fresh thyme, bay leaves, and salt and pepper.
Toss all together with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil.
Pour the oiled and seasoned vegetable mixture onto the bottom of your parchment-lined roasting pan.
Place spatchcocked and buttered bird on top of veggies.
Roast for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Then start checking the thickest part of the breast for an internal temperature of 150 degrees. Once the thermometer reaches the correct temperature (150 degrees), remove the pan from the oven and place the turkey on a grooved cutting board to catch any juices.
Allow the bird to rest for 10-15 minutes. (Roasted vegetables will be used in gravy preparation.)
Bacon-sage butter
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter, room temperature
- ¼ c. bacon fat, saved from cooked bacon, room temperature
- 4 slices bacon, cooked crispy and finely chopped
- ¼ c fresh sage, finely chopped
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. black pepper, ground
Directions
Whip butter and bacon fat in a food processor until very smooth.
Transfer to a bowl.
Fold in chopped bacon, sage, salt, and pepper until well incorporated.
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