Spatchcocked turkey at the dinner table might not look traditional, but it can add a lot of flavor—and be a major time-saver.
Morgan said, “I saw my turkey, which means you remove the spine.” “When you spatchcock your turkey, it allows the bird to lay flat and it allows you to cook the turkey at a lower temperature. I like to go low and slow.”
Morgan would save the spine for his stock and then — after brining his turkey — he’d put the bird in a large roasting pan and lay a tightly woven cloth over it for the first two to four hours.
“I’ll make a stock and add aromatics that I’m basting the turkey with,” he said. “Then I remove the cloth and turn on the oven to finally make the skin really crispy. I’ve found this works really well.”
Andrew Zimmerman, Executive Chef A type of fish In Chicago, there’s also a big belief in spatchcocking your turkey.
He said, “I don’t have a whole turkey to offer to the people, but I do have a delicious turkey to offer to the people.”
Zimmerman also removes the legs and thighs, which he cures with salt, sugar, rosemary, thyme, and garlic before slowly cooking them in duck fat.
“This hack looks like a lot of work, but it pays dividends in the end,” he said. “And you can do it a day or two in advance.”
Zimmerman brines and roasts the turkey breast separately, and reheats its thighs and legs in the oven—placing them skin-side down on a roasting pan to “brown the skin.”
“Now you have perfectly cooked delicious legs and thighs, and a perfectly cooked turkey breast,” he said. “How Easy Can Thanksgiving Get?”