FASTEST ROAST TURKEY

Fastest Roast Turkey image

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.

Provided by Sam Sifton

Time 2h

Yield 12 or more servings

Number Of Ingredients 7

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 1/2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and cut into small pats

Steps:

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.
Turn the turkey over and use your knife or cleaver to remove the legs and thighs. Press down on the turkey breasts to flatten the carcass.
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.
Place pan in a 450 degree oven for 30 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 degrees and baste with accumulated juices.
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.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 633, UnsaturatedFat 15 grams, Carbohydrate 2 grams, Fat 29 grams, Fiber 0 grams, Protein 87 grams, SaturatedFat 10 grams, Sodium 1374 milligrams, Sugar 1 gram, TransFat 0 grams