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Alton Brown’s Butterflied Dry Brined Turkey
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Alton Brown's Dry Brined, Spatchcock Turkey with Root Vegetable Panzanella

Learn how to make a spatchcock turkey that you dry brine first. Recipe is from Alton Brown. I have written the instructions out in my own words from years of doing this recipe. It also includes a root vegetable panzanella that cooks underneath the turkey. I did make a few changes to the panzanella recipe.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 0

Ingredients

For the turkey

For the root vegetable panzanella

  • 2 lbs combo of parsnips, rutabaga, turnips, celery root, and/or carrots peeled and cubed into ½-inch pieces
  • 1 tsp cooking oil
  • ½ lb red or yellow onion diced into ½-inch pieces
  • 8 oz Brussels sprouts shredded on the thin slicing blade of a food processor
  • 8 oz hearty bread like sourdough cut into ½-inch cubes and staled
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves chopped
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar optional

Instructions

Preparing the turkey

  • 4 days before you are going to cook the turkey or the Sunday before Thanksgiving make sure you have a completely thawed turkey. Remove the neck and giblets and save them for stock in the fridge.
  • Add all the turkey seasonings together in a coffee grinder and grind together if you can. Otherwise use pre-ground allspice and a pepper grinder and combine with the rest of the seasonings and place them into a bowl.
  • Place the thawed turkey, breast side down on the largest cutting board you have. Make sure you have nothing near you that could get ruined if touched by turkey parts or juices. I like to have towels nearby for any messes.
  • Using a pair of good quality kitchen shears, cut up one side of the backbone. Then cut up the other side until you completely remove the backbone. Save the backbone to make stock.
  • Now flip the turkey so the breast side is up. Use you hand to press down on both breasts until it cracks and the turkey has flattened out. I found that if I stand on a step stool carefully and push down on the turkey it makes it easier but only do that if you are comfortable. Don't hurt yourself!
  • Now liberally rub the seasonings all over both sides of the turkey. Make sure to use it all.
  • Now place the turkey breast side up on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Place on the bottom shelf of your fridge uncovered for 4 days.

Cooking the turkey and panzenlla

  • Take the turkey out of the fridge, 1 hour before you are going to cook it to start bringing up it's temperature. A turkey that isn't fridge temperature will cook faster and more evenly.
  • Place the peeled and cubed root vegetables in a roasting pan or a large sheet pan if you don't have a roasting pan. Toss with cooking oil. Set aside.
  • Make sure you have a rack in the middle of your oven and the second one is just far enough below for your roasting pan or sheet pan with the root vegetables to fit.
  • Now heat the oven up to 425 degrees.
  • Once the oven is heated up, the turkey goes right on the middle rack. Make sure the legs are running perpendicular to the metal bars.
  • Place the root vegetables below the turkey and close the oven door.
  • Cook for 30 minutes, before dropping the temperature down to 350 degrees for the remainder of the cook time.
  • Cook until a thermometer reads 155 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the breast. Carryover heat will continue to cook the bird until it reaches 165 degrees. On average it takes about 40-50 minutes for it to reach this temperature but don't go by time, check the temperature to be sure.
  • Remove the turkey from the oven and allow it 30 minutes to rest.
  • To finish the panzenlla, add in the Brussel sprouts, bread cubes, and garlic. Stir everything up and cook for 15 more minutes. Then pull from the oven, season with the thyme, salt, and pepper and the vinegar if you want to use it.
  • Carve the turkey up and serve with the panzanella.