In 2014, we started a new Thanksgiving tradition: two dinners! We normally go to CT to celebrate on Thanksgiving Day. But we figured: why not also have a pre-Thanksgiving dinner on the weekend with our new housemates, the Bernardins?! So, two dinners became the plan.
DJ couldn't have been more pleased since Thanksgiving is his favorite meal of the year, and he really enjoys the challenge of cooking a juicy turkey. Each year he tries something a little different. For the 2014 turkey, the new twist was to spatchcock the turkey with guidance from his friends at Bon Appetit.
We're a bit paranoid about germs from raw poultry, so the first step was to create a sterile area. (Yes, we acknowledge this looks ridiculous.)
Whole Foods sells a handy brining kit: a large bucket with a bag of spices. All you have to do is dump the spices in the bucket, fill it with water (and maybe some beer), and dunk the turkey in there overnight. Mmmmm, juicy.
Now... to spatchcock.
You essentially are cutting out the backbone of the turkey so that it will lay flat in the pan and cook evenly in a shorter amount of time. The Bon App video we linked to above makes this look a lot easier than it actually is. Our cooking shears may not be the greatest, but it required a lot of pressure to break through the biggest bones.
It was quite satisfying once we heard the loud *crack* and were able to get the whole backbone out.
Then it was very easy to press down on the turkey and flatten it.
We placed it on the roasting pan, inserted our handy iDevice set to "whole turkey" (best sous chef ever!), and basted occasionally.
What a beauty! So tender and juicy.
The chef was quite proud.
And we all enjoyed a lovely feast, including sides of stuffing, savory sweet potatoes, string beans, steamed broccoli, and cranberry sauce.
Cheers to a new housemate tradition!
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