Crispy Butterflied Thanksgiving Turkey

This is a revised version of the original Butterflied Turkey recipe. We discovered a new improved technique to achieve even crispier turkey skin! Take note and plan ahead… You have to start the “night before” and it involves baking powder. You read that right. Relax and organize.

Please note: I have a large fridge that can fit a baking sheet. If it is not the case, consider this other delicious Butterflied Turkey recipe, it does not need a big fridge and overnight planning.

Crispy Butterflied Thanksgiving Turkey

recipe credits: Rafaella Sargi
Serves 10

Ingredients: “the night before”
6 Tablespoons sea salt
2 Tablespoons baking powder
1 fresh turkey (around 13 pounds / 6 kg), neck and giblets removed

Directions: “the night before”
You will need one small bowl, a large baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, an oven safe wire rack (same size as the baking sheet), poultry scissors (or electric knife).

In a small bowl, mix the sea salt and baking powder. Set aside.

On a large cutting board (or working surface), pat dry the turkey using paper towels. Place the turkey breast-side down with the tail facing you. Using poultry scissors, remove the backbone of the bird by cutting along the backbone right side, then the left side. Detach the backbone completely from the turkey and set aside for the gravy. (Gravy recipe) 
Flip the turkey over, breast-side facing you, cut or brake the wishbone. Using your hands, apply pressure on the turkey breasts to hear a “crack sound”. The bird should be slightly flattened.
Keeping the turkey in that “butterfly” position, with the breast-side facing you, place it on the wire rack, in a sheet pan.

After you butterflied the turkey, sprinkle generously this salt / baking powder mixture over all the turkey skin. GENEROUSLY!

Place the sheet pan, in the fridge, UNCOVERED. I know, it takes some space,… but it is really worth it. (Make sure the raw turkey does not touch / contaminate any other element or food items in the fridge).

Go to bed.

The next day, remove the turkey from the fridge up to 3 hours before cooking time. (If the bird is at room temperature, it will cook evenly and won’t require an extended cooking time.)

Ingredients: “the day of…”
2 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 leek, chopped

2 shallots, finely chopped

8 garlic cloves

2 bay leaves

2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, (stems removes) chopped

2 Tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped

Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt

Black pepper

Directions: “the day of…”
Heat the oven to 425F / 220C.

Remove the wire rack for a few seconds and put the carrots, celery, leek, shallots, garlic, bay leaves, rosemary and thyme on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the wire rack with the butterflied turkey, back on top of the chopped vegetables and herbs.

Drizzle a little bit olive oil on the turkey skin, season lightly with freshly ground black pepper and in the hot oven it goes for 1 hour.

Turn the heat down to 400F / 200C and continue roasting the turkey for an additional 20 to 30 minutes. The remaining time depends on the size of your turkey. It’s not magic! It’s science… take a thermometer and check the temperature of the turkey.

Inserted in the thickest part of the turkey, a thermometer should read 165F / 74C. If the temperature is lower than that, keep the turkey in the oven for 10 minutes increments, check the temperature again… until you reach the desired temperature. (Do not overcook it, the meat will dry.)

Remove the cooked turkey and cover with aluminum foil and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving.

The 13 pound turkey required 1h20 min total cooking time. (The turkey was AT ROOM TEMPERATURE when we started roasting it, I mention that again because it makes a difference in the total required cooking time. If you start with a cold turkey, it will logically need more time in the oven.)

Important note: cook the turkey to a specific temperature and not for a pre-fixed “time”. Each bird differ in size.