Spatchcocked Turkey & Garam Masala Mash
Thanksgiving and holiday meals are right around the corner and you're freaking out! Or you're not but you are looking for some inspiration. You've come to the right place - let's take a look at this one by one.
Cooking a turkey can seem like a daunting task but it's all 3 things. Brining, seasoning, and temperature. Brining not only helps to season the bird, but it also helps the meat retain its natural moisture. This results in juicy, flavorful meat. We’re going to be dry brining our turkey overnight with a combination of salt for seasoning and baking powder for extra crispy skin!
Seasoning! Turkey’s are big birds. It is very, very difficult to over season. Even if you don’t follow this method, be sure to thoroughly season your bundle of joy until you think that you’ve over seasoned. Then, season it some more. I’m a fan of simplicity and that means just salt. We’re eating turkey, not herbs and butter and garlic… You want to taste the turkey!
With that said, a compound butter under the skin is nice. Some citrus & spice are often nice. You do you!
Temperature is crucial. We want to cook our bird so that the meat reaches a safe 165F. Cooking a whole turkey presents a problem. The dark leg/thigh meat will be under cooked while the breast meat reaches the 165F mark. Enter the spatchcocked method!
Spatchcocking is the removal of the spine and flattening of the entire bird so that all of the skin/meat sections are exposed. This results in more even cooking which equals more control and in the end, perfectly cooked meat. This also means more surface area which results in more skin getting browned and an overall shorter cooking time. And if you’ve caught my recipe for roasted chicken a la Thomas Keller, then you know I’m a huge sticker for high heat and no steam. We’ll be cooking at 450F which results in ridiculously crispy skin. Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE SPATCHCOCKED TURKEY
12 - 14 lbs turkey, rinsed and fully dried with paper towels
4 TBSP Kosher Salt
1 TBSP baking powder
2 large carrots, chopped
2 large onions, large slices
4 ribs celery, chopped
FOR THE GARAM MASALA MASH
1 large butternut squash
2 large sweet potatoes
1 can coconut milk
1 ½ tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 TBSP garam masala
1 ½ tsp curry powder
1 TBSP honey
1 clove garlic, grated
Place the bird breast side down on a cutting board and locate the spine. Using heavy duty kitchen shears, cut down the length of the bird on either side of the backbone removing it. Reserve the spine for stock.
Open up the turkey carcass and locate a small patch of cartilage behind the top center of the breast meat. Make an incision in the cartilage and then flatten the bird by pressing on either side of the breastplate using enough force to split the cartilage section on either side. The turkey is now fully spatchcocked and should be able to lay flat.
Place chopped carrots, celery, and onions into a large oven roaster. Place the bird in the roaster and tuck the wings in on themselves. Mix together Kosher salt & baking powder. This dry brine method will thoroughly season the turkey overnight while retaining its natural moisture for juicy meat.
Flip the turkey over and generously season all surfaces on the inside of the bird. Flip over and continue to season the outside. Be sure to season underneath the skin on any exposed breast meat and thigh meat sections.
Loosely cover the roaster pan with a foil tent and place into the refrigerator for 12 - 24 hours.
Remove the bird from the refrigerator for at least 1 ½ hours prior to placing it in the oven. This will bring the turkey meat up to room temperature ensuring that the bird cooks evenly. You will have a fair amount of excess moisture in the pan from the bird and vegetables. Fully drain off using paper towels.
Place the turkey into the center of a preheated 450F oven for 1 ½ - 2 hours or until the a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the breast reads 165F - 170F. You can baste the turkey once about 30 minutes prior using the pan juices. This will reduce the crispiness of the skin but will result in a richer color. Once the turkey has finished, let it rest for at least 20 minutes allowing the juices to redistribute.
For the Garam Masala Mash, peel the skin from a butternut squash and 2 large sweet potatoes. Cut them into 1 inch cubes and place into a large mixing bowl. Pour in half of 13.5 oz can of coconut milk. Season with Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, garam masala, curry powder and honey. Garam masala is a delicious Indian spice blend incorporating coriander, cloves, peppercorns, bay leaf, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom and more. Spread the mixture on a baking sheet and place in the center of a preheated 425F oven and bake for about 35 minutes until the veggies are soft.
Place everything into a mixing bowl and grate in a clove of garlic using a microplane. Add in the remaining amount of coconut milk and to mash & whip until smooth. You can prepare this in advance or after the turkey is finished cooking and is resting.
