Primary Categories: [[01 - Recipes]] Secondary Categories: [[02 - Entrees]] Tags and Links: #recipe #altonbrown #turkey #thanksgiving ## Ingredients - 5 grams whole black peppercorns (1 1/2 teaspoons) - 1 gram whole allspice berries (1/2 teaspoon) - 2 grams dried thyme (1 1/2 teaspoons) - 30 grams kosher salt (3 1/2 tablespoons) - 2 grams rubbed sage (1 1/2 teaspoons) - 1 (13- to 14-pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed and reserved for stock ## Directions 1. **Four days before cooking**, make the rub mixture and season the turkey: Coarsely grind the peppercorns and allspice berries by pulsing 3 to 4 times in a blade-style coffee/spice grinder. Add the dried thyme and pulse 3 more times. Combine the salt, rubbed sage, and ground spices in a small bowl and set aside. 2. Position the turkey, breast-side down with the tail facing you, on a silicone mat or other stable surface set inside a large sheet pan. Use heavy-duty kitchen shears to cut up one side of the backbone. Turn the bird and cut back down the other side of the spine. Reserve the backbone for stock or [[Gravy - Turkey Giblet|gravy]]. Discard any fat pockets or excess skin found inside the bird. Flip breast-side up and use the heel of your hands to press down on both breasts, until you hear a cracking sound and the bird flattens. 3. Place the turkey, breast-side up, on a rack (I use a standard cooling rack or cake rack), set inside a half sheet pan. Turn the wings backwards, tucking the tips under the forewings. Flip the turkey breast-side down and season with half of the rub mixture. Flip the bird back breast-side up and season with the remaining mixture. 4. Store, uncovered, on the lowest level of your refrigerator for *4 days*. --- 6. **When ready to cook**, allow the turkey to sit at room temperature for *1 hour*. Place one oven rack in the center of the oven and a second one just below it. Place an empty roasting pan or large rimmed sheet pan on the lower rack. Crank the ==oven to 425°F==. 7. Place the turkey, still on the cooling rack, directly on the center oven rack. Add a cup of water to the pan below to prevent any drippings from smoking. Roast for *30 minutes*. 8. ==Reduce the heat to 350°F== and continue to roast the bird **until a probe thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 155°F**, an additional *40 to 50 minutes*. 9. Remove the turkey and its rack and *rest for 15 minutes before carving*. Carryover heat will take the final temperature close to 165 degrees. Note: I like to serve this alongside Alton Brown's [[Roasted Root Vegetable Panzanella]]. Credit: https://altonbrown.com/recipes/spatchcocked-roast-turkey/