Spatchcocked Roast Turkey

Ingredients

• 1 whole turkey, 12 lb, thawed
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2 pounds russet potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 large onions, thickly sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Before you cook

• Set the turkey breast down on a cutting board and cut along both sides of the backbone with heavy poultry shears to remove it.
• Save the backbone and giblets for stock.
• Flip the bird over and press hard on the breastbone with the heel of your hand until it cracks and the turkey lies flat.
• Mash the softened butter with the rosemary and thyme.

Steps

1. Season the flattened turkey all over with the kosher salt and black pepper.
2. Slide your fingers under the breast skin to loosen it and push the herb butter underneath.
3. Refrigerate the bird uncovered on a rack for at least 4 hours or overnight if you have time.
4. Heat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the lower third.
5. Toss the potatoes and onions with the olive oil and spread them across a large rimmed sheet pan.
6. Set a wire rack over the vegetables and lay the turkey on it skin side up, legs pointing outward.
7. Roast at 450 degrees for 30 minutes, until the skin is deeply browned.
8. Reduce the oven to 400 degrees and roast for another 45 to 55 minutes.
9. Test the thigh with a thermometer and pull the bird at 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
10. Rest the turkey for 20 minutes, then carve the legs and breast away from the frame.
11. Serve the potatoes and onions from the pan beneath, which have cooked in the turkey drippings.