quick cooking

Juiciest Spatchcocked Turkey

poultry seasoning

black pepper

salt

carrots

onion

celery

Line a large rimmed baking pan with aluminum foil and lightly spray it with nonstick cooking spray.  Very coarsely chop the vegetables and scatter them over the pan.  Set aside.

Place the turkey on a large cutting board, breast side down.  Pat the turkey dry with some paper towels to make it easier to handle. Use a large pair of sharp poultry shears to cut the backbone out of the tukery.  Start at the tail and cut up one side of the back bone, then proceed to the other side. Some bones may be a little tougher to cut through, so you may have to use both hands on the shears.  You can also use a chef knife for this, but I find the shears much safer and easier. (You can discard the backbone or use it to make stock for gravy.)Then flip the turkey over and place both hands firmly in the center of the breast and press down with considerable force to flatten the turkey.  the flatter the better.  It may take a few tries and you&#x27;ll probably hear some bones breaking.  You can also now remove the excess skin around the neck and tail if you like.  Place the turkey on top of the vegetables.

In a medium bowl, whisk the oil, poultry seasoning, pepper, and salt together. Dry the turkey again with a few paper towels then liberally brush the entire turkey (including the inside) with the mixture.  You can even rub some under the skin of the breasts for even more flavor. Then tuck the wings tips under the turkey to keep them from burning.

Preheat the oven to 450°F and allow the turkey to rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes while it preheats.  Cook the turkey for 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes (rotating the pan about halfway through cooking) or until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F (the breast should read about 155°F) when tested with a meat thermometer. The residual heat with continue to cook the bird once it&#x27;s out of the oven, so the temp will rise more even after being taken out.  If you find the turkey starting to burn, you can alwasy reduce the heat a bit or cover the darkest part of it with aluminum foil to keep it from getting too brown. Each turkey and oven is a little different so you may need to make some minor adjustments as it&#x27;s cooking to make sure it&#x27;s cooked completely without drying out.

Allow the turkey to rest for 15 to 20 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute then carve as normal.

A quick version of the classic French sauce.

Quick Chasseur Sauce

unsalted butter

Madeira

mushrooms,

(12 ounces) beef gravy ([1 12-oz jar])

tomatoes

tsp fines herbs blend

For the rustic chunky sauce shown in the photo, chop the onions into 1/4 inch dice, and the mushrooms in thicker chunks. If you wish a more refined sauce, substitute a shallot instead of the onion, and mince it finely; slice the mushrooms as thinly as you can, and substitute 8 oz tomato sauce for the diced tomatoes. We prefer the rustic style.

Melt the butter over medium heat in a non-reactive skillet. Cook the onions (or shallots) gently until they are just translucent. Raise the heat, and add the mushrooms. Cook until they are delicately browned. Add the wine and Madeira, reduce the heat, and cook until the volume of liquid is reduced by half.

By the way, we are dead on the classical preparation so far (well, except for the rustic part, using onions and thickly chunked mushrooms.) Now for the amazing shortcut that makes this so cool. I have in my kitchen notes that I learned this trick from a Jacques Pepin book sometime in the 70s or early 80s – blame my unscholarly habits that I didn’t include the specific source! If anyone can track it down, by all means comment below. 

Add in one 12-ounce can or jar of commercial beef gravy. If you happen to have leftover homemade beef gravy, that’s even better. If you have taken the time to make classic Sauce Espagnole, veal bones and all, by all means, use that. It’s the texture that’s important here. Over the years, I’ve used Franco-American, Heinz, and others – use what you have on hand that has the most reasonable ingredients, and stir well.

Also add whatever you’re using for tomato flavor – for a rustic texture, you can’t beat diced tomatoes, but tomato sauce will also work. Add dried herbs of your choice; I’m partial to a dried Fines Herbes blend from the Shakers at Sabbathday Lake, Maine; you might use a bouquet garni blend, or simply thyme, rosemary, and tarragon. Stir well, reduce the heat to low, and simmer 10 to 15 minutes.

Now what can you use this sauce for? Oh my, what not? This is a sauce that might make cardboard taste great. It’s wonderful slathered on sliced meatloaf. Slice or chunk leftovers (poultry, roast, steak, chops) and heat in the sauce, or use as a filling for crepes. Or just sop it up with crusty bread!

The sauce will keep for a week in the refrigerator, and at least 6 months in the freezer, if well packaged. I like to make a pot full of the sauce – a bit more than a quart – and freeze what I’m not using immediately in 1 to 2 cup portions. It will thaw with no loss in texture.

Easy Apple Crisp

sugar

cornstarch

cinnamon

nutmeg

apples

orange juice*

oats

all-purpose flour

brown sugar

unsalted butter (melted)

Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly spray a 2-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the apples and orange juice and toss to coat. Pour evenly into the prepared baking dish. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, flour, brown sugar, salt, and melted butter until a crumble forms. Sprinkle over the apple mixture.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until the filling is thick and bubbling around the edges and the apples are tender. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Thanks for this easy recipe; I'll be using it for berry crisps too! I used gluten free flour and it turned out great. But I will say, I used more apples and half the sugar this recipe called for and it turned out just right. The full sugar would just be too sweet in my opinion, especially if you're having it with ice cream.

Just made it for breakfast.  My granddaughter and I both loved it. Thank you

Great recipe. It came out delicious.
I used apple cider for the liquid as I had that on hand. Made it yesterday and I think my husband saved some for today.

As a student and (later on) as a teacher, this recipe took me back to my school days, reminding me of Ms Violet who could make THE BEST Apple Crisp EVER! This recipe was a total treat, and I made it for my first get-together with the H20 Aquatics group from the YMCA...Oh, the complements poured in! I'm passing the recipe along now! #southernbite

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Juiciest Spatchcocked Turkey

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Easy Apple Crisp

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