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Spatchcocking a Turkey

I picked up a deal on a turkey and decided to use it to try spatchcocking. This technique flattens the bird to promote even cooking.

Here is the bird. Directions talk about cutting out bones but I didn't bother going that far. I just used my kitchen shears to cut the breast in half. After roughly laying out the bird, I used the palm of my hand to flatten it out. It couldn't have been simpler. This technique not only exposes the interior to more direct heat, it also nearly eliminates vertical variations in temperature, resulting in more even cooking.

I coated the bird in olive oil and a little salt. I cooked it at 450 for 30 minutes, then turned the oven down to 350. This bird weighed only 10 pounds but it took just under an hour and a half to cook. The result was tender and juicy with a nice, crunchy skin. I enjoyed some turkey for dinner; the rest went into the freezer for turkey pot pies.

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