recipes

Spatchcocked Christmas Turkey with Pan Gravy

Get ready for a delightful holiday meal with our Spatchcocked Christmas Turkey. This simple yet flavorful recipe takes your turkey to the next level, paired with a tasty pan gravy. Not only does spatchcocking make the cooking process more efficient, ensuring a faster and more even cook, but it also enhances the tenderness and juiciness of the meat.

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Ingredients

  • 1 Winter's Turkey whole turkey (approximately 12-14 pounds)
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 onion, peeled and quartered
  • 2 garlic bulbs, halved
  • 2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 2 celery stalks, cut into chunks
  • 2-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme for roasting
  • olive oil for drizzling
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • zest and juice of 1 lemon

For the Pan Gravy

  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour (use arrowroot or corn starch powder to make gluten free)
  • 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce (can be gluten free)
  • 1/2 cup cream
  • salt and pepper to taste
Servings 8-10
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours
How To Make It
  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lay the turkey on a clean, stable surface, breast-side down. Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, carefully cut along one side of the backbone. Turn the turkey around and cut along the other side of the backbone. Remove the backbone and set it aside for making stock or gravy.Open the turkey like a book, pressing down firmly to flatten it.Tuck the wingtips under the breast.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the softened butter with minced garlic, chopped rosemary, thyme, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Gently lift the skin over the turkey breast and rub half of the seasoned butter underneath the skin. Spread the remaining butter all over the skin. Generously season the turkey with salt and pepper.
  3. Arrange the quartered onion, halved garlic bulbs, carrot chunks, and celery in the bottom of a roasting pan. Add the fresh rosemary and thyme sprigs for extra flavor.
  4. Place the spatchcocked turkey, breast-side up, over the vegetables in the pan. Drizzle a little olive oil over the turkey and season it with salt and pepper. Roast in the preheated oven for about 2 to 2.5 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the thigh. If the skin begins to brown too quickly, gently cover it with aluminum foil.
  5. Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest for 45 minutes before carving. This resting period allows the juices to redistribute, ensuring moist and flavorful meat.
For the Pan Gravy
  1. Place the roasting pan with the vegetables and pan drippings on a stovetop burner and bring the drippings to a boil.
  2. Sprinkle in the flour and stir, cooking for about 2 minutes to remove any raw flour taste
  3. Pour in 4 cups of chicken stock and add 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce. Cook until the gravy reaches your desired thickness. Stir in the cream and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
  4. Once the gravy is ready, strain out the vegetables by pouring the mixture through a colander into another pot, skimming off any excess fat from the top. Season the gravy with salt and pepper according to your taste, and keep it warm on the stovetop until you're ready to serve.