Spatchcocked Turkey with Fennel and Orange
Course: Poultry RecipesServings
8
servingsPrep time
30
minutesCooking time
1
hour40
minutesThis a favorite turkey recipe and one I make every year. I don’t make it for Thanksgiving or Christmas as I love the look of a traditional turkey but the flavors in this are out of this world and it makes the most incredibly flavorful turkey and stock. I always receive rave reviews.
Ingredients
5 Teaspoons fennel seed
1/2 cup Kosher salt
1/4 cup finely grated orange zest plus 5 wide orange zest strips
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon rosemary chopped plus 2 sprigs
1 Tablespoon thyme leaves, plus a few sprigs
2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
1 12-14lb turkey, neck, giblets, and backbone removed and reserved)
2 medium onions, quartered
10 carrots, peeled
4 celery stalks
3 heads of garlic, halved
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
Directions
- Toast the fennel seed in a dry pan over medium heat, tossing occasionally, until fragrant about 3 minutes. Let cool and then finely grind in a spice mill. Place 4 teaspoons in a food processor and reserve one teaspoon.
- In a food processor, add the salt, grated zest, sugar, rosemary, thyme, pepper, and 4 teaspoons of the fennel seed and chop.
- Place the spatchcocked turkey in a large disposable tin and rub the mixture from the food processor all over the bird. Set in the refrigerator uncovered for 6-18 hours.
- Preheat oven to 450. In a large roasting pan place the carrots, onions, celery, garlic, thyme and rosemary sprigs on the bottom of the pan. Gently rinse the turkey and pat dry. Place the bird on top of the vegetables SKIN SIDE UP in the pan. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Heat oil and thick orange zest as well as reserved 1 teaspoon fennel seed until sizzling about 2 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.
- Brush turkey with oil all over the bird and place the wine in the bottom of the pan. Roast turkey for 30 min then reduce oven temperature to 350. Continue to baste bird every 20 minutes until skin is deep brown and instant read thermometer stuck into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165, about 1 hour longer. Allow to rest 30 minutes before carving.
