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Spatchcocked Butter-Roasted Lemon and Herb Turkey with Gravy
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Prep Time:
60 minutes
Cook Time:
140 minutes
Total Time:
200 minutes
Butterflied roast turkey for even cooking, faster results, and flavorful homemade gravy with saved backbone.
Ingredients:
  • 1 cup salted butter, softened
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1.5 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided, or more to taste
  • 3 cups coarsely chopped sweet onion
  • 2 cups coarsely chopped carrot
  • 2 cups coarsely chopped celery
  • 1 (12 pound) turkey, thawed if purchased frozen
  • 0.5 cup dry white wine
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
  • 0.25 cup all-purpose flour
  • 4.5 cups chicken stock, or more as needed
Instructions:
  • Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C) on the lower rack position. Place a large rimmed baking sheet with a rack inside to use later.
  • In a medium bowl, mix together softened butter, mustard, thyme, lemon juice and zest, rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper until well combined. Set aside. Spread chopped onion, carrots, and celery evenly on a baking sheet with a rack on top. Set aside while you prep the turkey.
  • Prepare your workspace by laying a clean kitchen towel under a large cutting board. Put the thawed and drained turkey on the board, pat it dry with paper towels, and position it so the backbone is facing upwards. Using sharp poultry shears, cut alongside the backbone from tail to neck, ensuring a strong grip and steady hand. Use a paper towel for extra support if needed.
  • Take a paper towel to grasp the bird on the cut side of the backbone. Use poultry shears to make a cut along the other side of the backbone to remove it from the bird. Cut the backbone into 3 to 4 pieces crosswise and set aside on a plate for gravy. Now, flip the bird to have a U-shape, with the breast facing up. Press down firmly on the breastbone with interlaced fingers to flatten the bird until you hear a slight crack.
  • Lay the turkey on the prepared rack over the vegetables on the baking sheet with the breast facing up. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels and tuck the wing tips under the bird. Carefully create space between the skin and the breasts using your hands. Spread half of the herb butter mixture (approximately 2/3 cup) evenly under the skin, then gently smooth the skin to distribute the butter evenly.
  • First, wash your hands thoroughly. Next, use the microwave to melt the remaining half of the herb butter mixture for 20 seconds on high power. Take a basting brush and apply some of this melted butter onto the prepared turkey, ensuring even coverage. Sprinkle the remaining salt and pepper evenly over the turkey. Then, add 1 tablespoon of the remaining herb butter mixture to a large saucepan to be used for the gravy, keeping the rest aside for basting during roasting.
  • Roast the turkey in a preheated oven until the thigh meat reaches 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. Remember to rotate the baking sheet halfway through for even browning, brush with herb butter every 30 minutes, and loosely cover with foil if the skin darkens too quickly.
  • Once the turkey is in the oven, heat the reserved butter mixture in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the reserved cut backbone pieces and cook them until browned all over, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Then, lower the heat, pour in enough water to barely cover the backbone pieces (about 2 cups), cover the saucepan, and let the mixture simmer on low heat until the turkey is done roasting.
  • Once the turkey is done, transfer it to a cutting board to rest, and cover it with foil to keep it warm. Spoon the vegetables and drippings into a saucepan with the backbone pieces. Place the baking sheet over two stove burners on medium heat. Pour white wine and 1/2 cup chicken stock onto the baking sheet, scraping off any browned bits with a spoon. Transfer everything from the baking sheet to the saucepan. Add 2 more cups of chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until flavors meld.
  • Place a fine mesh strainer over a bowl or measuring cup. Pour gravy through the strainer to separate solids from the broth; gently press on solids to extract liquid. Discard solids. Let liquid sit for 5 minutes, skim off excess fat from the surface, and reserve 3 tablespoons of fat. Discard remaining fat.
  • After straining, use the same large saucepan to cook shallots in reserved fat over medium-high heat until softened for about 2 minutes. Stir in flour until combined with fat for about 1 minute. Pour in strained liquid and enough chicken stock to reach 6 cups of liquid, then bring to a boil. Stir constantly for 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until reduced by half for 25-30 minutes. Season gravy with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Transfer the turkey from the rack to a cutting board and slice it as desired. Serve with steaming hot gravy.

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