Recipes
Dry Brined Spatchcock Turkey with Arugula and Turkey Fat Croutons
By spatchcocking the turkey, you will achieve both a faster cooking time and superiorly crispy skin. A truly brilliant technique involves placing a cast iron skillet of croutons beneath the bird. As the turkey cooks, the flavorful drippings caramelize the croutons, resulting in a side that is both soft and crispy—the perfect accompaniment to the arugula salad.
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Directions
Ingredients
- One 10-12 pound turkey, defrosted if frozen
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ½ pound day-old, open-crumb, chewy, rustic bread loaf (not sourdough), cut into large (2-inch) chunks (about 2 ½ cups)
- ¼ cup champagne or white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon clover honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped or finely grated on a microplane
- 2 tablespoons dried cranberries or currants
- 2 green onions, (green and pale green part) thinly sliced
- 4 cups lightly packed arugula or mixed greens
Directions
Remove the turkey from its packaging and place it breast-side down on a large cutting board. Remove the neck and giblets from the cavity and pat the turkey dry with paper towels.
Using strong kitchen shears, cut along one side of the backbone, from the tail to the neck. Repeat the cut on the other side of the backbone, and remove it. You can save the backbone for making stock or gravy.
Flip the turkey over so the breast side is facing up. Press down firmly on the breastbone with the heel of your hands until you hear a crack and the turkey flattens out completely. Tuck the wing tips under the turkey's back to prevent them from burning during cooking.
Place the spatchcocked turkey on a baking rack set in a rimmed baking sheet and season both sides with 3 tablespoons of the salt, rubbing it in to make sure that it is evenly distributed over the entire bird. Place in the refrigerator (uncovered) for at least 24 hours and up to 72 hours.
Remove the turkey from the refrigerator 1 hour before cooking. Brush both sides liberally with olive oil and season the skin with a bit more salt and a good dose of black pepper. Prepare the grill for indirect grilling at between 450 to 500°F
Put the bread cubes in a large bowl, drizzle with a few tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a 12-inch cast iron pan.
Place the turkey flat on the grill in the indirect zone with the thighs towards the back of the grill skin-sides up. Close the cover and cook the turkey without turning until the internal temperature of the thigh measures 170 degrees, about 75 to 90 minutes. Remove the turkey to a cutting board, loosely tent with foil and let rest for 20 minutes. Carve.
After 30 minutes, check the turkey and rearrange it on the cooking surface if necessary. At this time, place the cast iron pan containing the bread cubes in the Hybrid Fire Grilling Drawer directly below the turkey. Cook the bread cubes until they are golden brown and caramelized, checking and stirring them after 30 minutes to ensure even browning.
Make the dressing: Whisk together the vinegar, honey, mustard, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper and ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil in a large bowl until combined. Stir in the cranberries. Just before serving, add the arugula, green onion and croutons and toss to combine. Taste for seasoning. Serve alongside the turkey,