How to Roast a Spatchcock Turkey in Convection
The hardest part about roasting a turkey in this method is cutting out the backbone, but that is small detail compared to the fabulous results you will achieve. Ideally remove the backbone a day in advance to make a delicious stock so you can even make your gravy in advance and just embellish it with the deglazed pan drippings.
Once the turkey has finished cooking, the oven can be loaded with the oven side dishes. Using either the Convection Roast (a little extra heat is good for roasting vegetables) or Convection Bake mode, the side dishes will be ready to serve once the turkey has rested and been carved, and you have made the gravy.
Ingredients
10 - 12lb turkey
Kosher salt
Your favorite seasoning
Preparation
Ideally begin this a day or two in advance of cooking.
Place the bird breast side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Holding it firmly in place with one hand, cut down one side of the backbone with a sharp knife or poultry shears to detach the thigh bone from the breastbone. It takes some effort, so go slowly. Continue cutting along the backbone, through the rib cage to the wing and detach the wing joint. Repeat on the other side then remove the backbone. To flatten the turkey, place your hand on one side of the breast and press down until you hear the bone crack. Repeat these steps on the other side.
Season the turkey with 1 tablespoon of Kosher salt and some freshly ground pepper. Cover the turkey with a sheet of wax paper and refrigerate.
Remove the turkey from the refrigerator at least 2 hours in advance of cooking to lose the chill. At that time you can add some flavoring ingredients to the pan: onion and garlic, parsley and thyme sprigs and sprinkle the turkey with your preferred seasoning. Place the turkey on a rack in a shallow pan and brush with some vegetable oil or clarified butter.
Heat the oven in the Convection Roast Mode or Convection Bake mode at 400F (220C) degrees.
If your oven has an internal meat probe, insert the needle into the thickest part of the breast, taking care not to touch bone then slide the pan into the oven. Close the door, touch the Probe symbol and program the meat probe to reach an internal temperature of 165°F. While the turkey is resting it will come to the perfect carving temperature of approximately 180 - 185 degrees.
Set the timer for 15 minutes and when the timer has elapsed, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Remember moderate temperatures are better when cooking in Convection to ensure even cooking.
Allow approximately 1 hour for a 10 - 12lb turkey to roast in this method and 1 hour 15 mins for a 12 - 15lb turkey to cook to perfection.
