Image via flickr. 

Every week, A Word on Food will give you a term that will make your mouth water. Happy eating.

Spatchcock [SPATCH-cock]: Removing the backbone of the turkey so it can be flattened to cook quickly

Origin: Irish

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, nightmares of unevenly or inadequately cooked turkey flood the dreams of cooks everywhere. This simple hack, called “spatchcocking” your turkey, can drive those nightmares away. While it might not be the traditional presentation, spatchcocking, or basically de-boning and flattening your turkey, will give guests evenly cooked, rich, juicy turkey with extra-crispy skin.

Cooking traditional turkeys poses two problems:

1. The fatty dark meat in turkey legs need to be cooked at about 165 degrees Fahrenheit,  but the lean breast meat will dry out when cooked much above 145 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. The breast meat is fully exposed to the oven’s heat while the legs remain hidden underneath, causing discrepancies in the time it takes each part to cook.

Spatchcocking solves that problem by butterflying the turkey and laying it flat with the legs alongside the breast. A bonus: The backbone can be used in the gravy broth for added flavor, instead of just using the neck and giblets. 

Here are the five steps to spatchcock a turkey, courtesy of Serious Eats. 

Step one:

Pat the turkey dry with paper towels, then place it breast-side-down on the cutting board. Holding it firmly with one hand, use poultry shears to make a cut along one side of the backbone, starting down near where the thighs meet the tail. Continue cutting, working your way around the thigh joint until you’ve snipped through every rib bone and completely split the turkey up to the neck.

Step two: 

Use your hands to spread the turkey open slightly. Repeat step one by making an identical cut along the other side of the backbone. Using a clean dish towel or rag to hold on to the bird will make it easier to keep control.

Step three:

There might be a large excess hood of fat near the neck. If it’s there, remove it. If you wish to make carving even easier, the wishbone can also be removed by making a thin incision with the tip of a paring or boning knife along both sides of it and pulling it out with your fingers.

Step four:

Turn the turkey over onto what once was its back, splaying its legs out. Press down hard on the ridge of the breast bone. You should hear a couple of cracks, and the turkey should rest flatter. 

Step five:

Tuck the wing tips behind the breast and lay it flat on a rack set in a rimmed baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, then line the rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil and cover it with a mix of roughly chopped onions, carrots and celery, along with some thyme stems. These vegetables will not only add flavor to the drippings — which will then make it back into the gravy — but also will slowly release moisture to ensure that the pan drippings don’t scorch and set off your fire alarm.

Your turkey is now ready to roast.

If you are more of a visual learner, The Kitchn also provides a step-by-step slideshow with accompanying directions.

You can spatchcock nearly all types of poultry, and a butcher can also do it for you. Because spatchcocking shortens cooking time, don’t forget to marinate your poultry first to prevent it from drying out too quickly.

Happy Thanksgiving!