Crisp-Skin High-Roast Butterflied Turkey with Sausage Dressing
By Bridget LancasterPublished on August 21, 2007
Time
4 hours, plus 8 hours brining, 8 hours chilling, and 20 minutes cooling
Yield
Serves 10 to 12
Ingredients
Turkey
2 cups kosher salt or 1 cup table salt1 cup granulated sugar 1 turkey (12 to 14 pounds gross weight), rinsed thoroughly; giblets, neck, and tailpiece removed and reserved for gravy, and turkey butterflied per illustrations below1 tablespoon unsalted butter, meltedSausage Dressing
12 cups cornbread broken into 1-inch pieces (include crumbs), or 18 cups 1-inch challah or Italian bread cubes (from about 1 ½ loaves)1 ¾ cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth1 cup half-and-half 2 large eggs, beaten lightly12 ounces bulk pork sausage, broken into 1-inch pieces3 medium onions, chopped fine (about 3 cups)3 ribs celery, chopped fine (about 1 ½ cups)2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves 2 tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves 3 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press1 ½ teaspoons table salt 2 teaspoons ground black pepperBefore You Begin
If you prefer not to brine your turkey, we recommend a kosher bird. The dressing can be made with cornbread, challah, or Italian bread, but note that they are not used in equal amounts. If you don’t own a broiler pan top or if yours does not span the roasting pan, try a sturdy wire rack that rests comfortably on top of a 12 by 16-inch disposable roasting pan. Cover the rack with a large sheet of heavy-duty foil, fold excess foil under, spray it with nonstick cooking spray, and, with a paring knife, cut slits in the foil for fat drainage.
Instructions
- Dissolve salt and sugar in 2 gallons cold water in large stockpot or clean bucket. Add turkey and refrigerate or set in very cool spot (not more than 40 degrees) for 8 hours.
- While turkey brines, adjust one oven rack to upper-middle position and second rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Spread bread in even layers on 2 rimmed baking sheets and dry in oven 40 to 50 minutes for challah or Italian bread or 50 to 60 minutes for cornbread.
- Place bread in large bowl. Whisk together stock, half-and-half, and eggs in medium bowl; pour over bread and toss gently to coat so bread does not break into smaller pieces. Set aside.
- Heat heavy-bottomed, 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until sausage loses its raw color, 5 to 7 minutes. With slotted spoon, transfer sausage to medium bowl. Add about half of onions and celery to fat in skillet; sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer onion mixture to bowl with sausage. Return skillet to heat and add 2 tablespoons butter; when foam subsides, add remaining celery and onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in thyme, sage, and garlic; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds; add salt and pepper. Add this mixture along with sausage and onion mixture to bread and stir gently to combine, trying not to break bread into smaller pieces.
- Spray disposable aluminum 12 by 16-inch roasting pan with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer dressing to roasting pan and spread in even layer. Cover pan with foil and refrigerate until needed.
- Set slotted broiler pan top on top of roasting pan with foil-covered dressing and spray with nonstick cooking spray; set roasting pan on baking sheet to support bottom. Remove turkey from brine and rinse well under cool running water. Butterfly and position turkey on broiler pan top; thoroughly pat surface of turkey dry with paper towels. Refrigerate turkey and dressing, uncovered, 8 to 24 hours.
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Remove broiler pan top with turkey and foil cover over roasting pan; replace broiler pan top with turkey. Brush turkey with melted butter. Place entire assembly with turkey in oven and roast until turkey skin is crisp and deep brown and instant-read thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted in thickest part of breast and 175 degrees in thickest part of thigh, 80 to 100 minutes, rotating pan from front to back after 40 minutes.
- Transfer broiler pan top with turkey to cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest 20 minutes. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position, place roasting pan with dressing back in oven, and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Cool dressing 5 minutes, then spoon into bowl or onto turkey serving platter. Carve turkey (see below) and serve.
to brine the turkey
for the dressing
to prepare the turkey for roasting
to roast turkey with dressing
Time
4 hours, plus 8 hours brining, 8 hours chilling, and 20 minutes coolingYield
Serves 10 to 12Ingredients
Turkey
2 cups kosher salt or 1 cup table salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 turkey (12 to 14 pounds gross weight), rinsed thoroughly; giblets, neck, and tailpiece removed and reserved for gravy, and turkey butterflied per illustrations below
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
Sausage Dressing
12 cups cornbread broken into 1-inch pieces (include crumbs), or 18 cups 1-inch challah or Italian bread cubes (from about 1 ½ loaves)
1 ¾ cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half
2 large eggs, beaten lightly
12 ounces bulk pork sausage, broken into 1-inch pieces
3 medium onions, chopped fine (about 3 cups)
3 ribs celery, chopped fine (about 1 ½ cups)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves
3 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press
1 ½ teaspoons table salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Turkey
2 cups kosher salt or 1 cup table salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 turkey (12 to 14 pounds gross weight), rinsed thoroughly; giblets, neck, and tailpiece removed and reserved for gravy, and turkey butterflied per illustrations below
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
Sausage Dressing
12 cups cornbread broken into 1-inch pieces (include crumbs), or 18 cups 1-inch challah or Italian bread cubes (from about 1 ½ loaves)
1 ¾ cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half
2 large eggs, beaten lightly
12 ounces bulk pork sausage, broken into 1-inch pieces
3 medium onions, chopped fine (about 3 cups)
3 ribs celery, chopped fine (about 1 ½ cups)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves
3 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press
1 ½ teaspoons table salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Turkey
2 cups kosher salt or 1 cup table salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 turkey (12 to 14 pounds gross weight), rinsed thoroughly; giblets, neck, and tailpiece removed and reserved for gravy, and turkey butterflied per illustrations below
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
Sausage Dressing
12 cups cornbread broken into 1-inch pieces (include crumbs), or 18 cups 1-inch challah or Italian bread cubes (from about 1 ½ loaves)
1 ¾ cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half
2 large eggs, beaten lightly
12 ounces bulk pork sausage, broken into 1-inch pieces
3 medium onions, chopped fine (about 3 cups)
3 ribs celery, chopped fine (about 1 ½ cups)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves
3 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press
1 ½ teaspoons table salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
To cook a turkey in two hours without filling the kitchen with smoke and drying out the breast meat, we developed a butterflied turkey recipe, which gave us crisp skin and evenly cooked meat. For smoke prevention, we roasted our butterflied turkey set over the stuffing—which absorbs the drippings—in a broiler pan. A high oven temperature of 450 degrees got the job done in 90 minutes.
Before You Begin
If you prefer not to brine your turkey, we recommend a kosher bird. The dressing can be made with cornbread, challah, or Italian bread, but note that they are not used in equal amounts. If you don’t own a broiler pan top or if yours does not span the roasting pan, try a sturdy wire rack that rests comfortably on top of a 12 by 16-inch disposable roasting pan. Cover the rack with a large sheet of heavy-duty foil, fold excess foil under, spray it with nonstick cooking spray, and, with a paring knife, cut slits in the foil for fat drainage.
Instructions
- Dissolve salt and sugar in 2 gallons cold water in large stockpot or clean bucket. Add turkey and refrigerate or set in very cool spot (not more than 40 degrees) for 8 hours.
- While turkey brines, adjust one oven rack to upper-middle position and second rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Spread bread in even layers on 2 rimmed baking sheets and dry in oven 40 to 50 minutes for challah or Italian bread or 50 to 60 minutes for cornbread.
- Place bread in large bowl. Whisk together stock, half-and-half, and eggs in medium bowl; pour over bread and toss gently to coat so bread does not break into smaller pieces. Set aside.
- Heat heavy-bottomed, 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until sausage loses its raw color, 5 to 7 minutes. With slotted spoon, transfer sausage to medium bowl. Add about half of onions and celery to fat in skillet; sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer onion mixture to bowl with sausage. Return skillet to heat and add 2 tablespoons butter; when foam subsides, add remaining celery and onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in thyme, sage, and garlic; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds; add salt and pepper. Add this mixture along with sausage and onion mixture to bread and stir gently to combine, trying not to break bread into smaller pieces.
- Spray disposable aluminum 12 by 16-inch roasting pan with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer dressing to roasting pan and spread in even layer. Cover pan with foil and refrigerate until needed.
- Set slotted broiler pan top on top of roasting pan with foil-covered dressing and spray with nonstick cooking spray; set roasting pan on baking sheet to support bottom. Remove turkey from brine and rinse well under cool running water. Butterfly and position turkey on broiler pan top; thoroughly pat surface of turkey dry with paper towels. Refrigerate turkey and dressing, uncovered, 8 to 24 hours.
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Remove broiler pan top with turkey and foil cover over roasting pan; replace broiler pan top with turkey. Brush turkey with melted butter. Place entire assembly with turkey in oven and roast until turkey skin is crisp and deep brown and instant-read thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted in thickest part of breast and 175 degrees in thickest part of thigh, 80 to 100 minutes, rotating pan from front to back after 40 minutes.
- Transfer broiler pan top with turkey to cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest 20 minutes. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position, place roasting pan with dressing back in oven, and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Cool dressing 5 minutes, then spoon into bowl or onto turkey serving platter. Carve turkey (see below) and serve.
to brine the turkey
for the dressing
to prepare the turkey for roasting
to roast turkey with dressing
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