Traditional Roasted Turkey

Name: Traditional Roasted Turkey
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 turkey, 12-14 lbs; 4 Tbsp kosher salt; 2 Tbsp baking powder; 1 stick butter; 1 lemon zested; 1 Tbsp sage, minced; 1 Tbsp thyme, minced; 1 Tbsp rosemary, minced; 1 Tbsp parsley, minced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tsp black pepper; 1/4 tsp allspice; 1 onion, quartered; 3 stalks celery, chunked; 3 carrots, chunked; 1 Apple, quartered (optional); 1 cinnamon stick (optional); 4 cups low sodium chicken stock

Lance Wilson @lance_wilson

Nyack, NY

I've been roasting turkeys for several years now, and not a just on thanksgiving. While I will say that smoking a turkey is the absolute best you can get (yes, even over frying), sometimes you want those traditional autumn flavors of sage and thyme with salty crackly turkey skin that comes from a traditional roasting process. I use a dry brine and place a compound butter under the skin to give the meat an extra layer of herbed flavor. The turkey is spatchcocked, which not only cuts down the cooking time and exposes the skin for crisping that typically get soggy with a whole bird roast, but it allows the turkey to lay flat so you can fit other things in the oven while it's cooking.

Lance Wilson @lance_wilson

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Ingredients

8 servings

1turkey, 12-14 lbs
4 Tbspkosher salt
2 Tbspbaking powder
1 stickbutter
1lemon zested
1 Tbspsage, minced
1 Tbspthyme, minced
1 Tbsprosemary, minced
1 Tbspparsley, minced
3 clovesgarlic, minced
1 tspblack pepper
1/4 tspallspice
1onion, quartered
3 stalkscelery, chunked
3carrots, chunked
1Apple, quartered (optional)
1cinnamon stick (optional)
4 cupslow sodium chicken stock

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Steps

1

Mix the salt and baking powder
2

Remove and reserve all the insides
3

Begin on your largest cutting board or a rimmed baking sheet. Place the turkey and pat dry with paper towels.
4

Using kitchen shears, cut the wing tips off. I don't tuck the wings bc it traps skin where it's tucked which turns soggy. Save the tips with the insides.
5

Flip the turkey onto it's breast and beginning at the tail cut on one side of the spine, maneuvering around the leg joint.
6

Continue cutting through the rib cage until you cut the bird in half
7

Flip the bird around and cut down the other side to remove the back entirely. Save the back with the insides.
8

Turn your turkey over and open up it's neck skin to expose the breast and wishbone
9

Using a sharp knife cut on each side of the wish bone.
10

Pull the wishbone out using the knife to cut through any stuck pieces. This will make carving easier later on.
11

Using your weight, place both hands on the top of the breast and press down to break the bone and flatten the crown.
12

Flip the bird over and liberally season with the salt/baking powder mixture.
13

Flip the bird back over and separate the skin from the meat by sliding your hard under the skin and breaking the membrane. Don't worry, the skin is usually pretty resilliant.
14

Season the bird under skin with the salt mix and then liberally season the outside. You should use the entire mixture.
15

Wrap in plastic and refrigerate overnight or for up to 48 hours.
16

Prepare the compound butter by softening the butter in a small bowl in the microwave. Add the lemon zest, herbs, pepper, and allspice to the bowl.
17

Mix the butter and divide into 4 portions.
18

Remove the turkey from the fridge and place a portion of butter under the skin of each breast, and then under the skin of each thigh, separating the skin like before. Mush the butter evenly over the meat from the outside.
19

Preheat oven to 500F. If you have a convection oven, use it
20

On a rimmed sheet pan lined with foil, lay out the back, wings, and neck. Toss onion, celery, carrot (and Apple and cinnamon if desired).
21

If you want the crispiest turkey possible, place the turkey directly on the oven rack and place the tray of veggies below it to catch the drippings. If you need the oven racks for other things, place the turkey directly on the veggies and place in the oven.
22

Roast for 30 min at 500F and then reduce the oven to 325F and continue cooking until the breast registers 161F. It should take roughly 1.5 to 2 hours total but use a thermometer! When you reduce the oven temp check the veggies and if they are burning add some stock.
23

Remove the beautifully burnished turkey from the oven and tent with foil to keep warm.
24

Pour the accumulated juiced through a fat separator or colander. Separate the fat, top up with stock and use to make gravy.
25

Carve the turkey. An electric knife works best. They're cheap. Go buy one even for just once a year use.
26

Serve with all the thanksgiving fixings