Mix 1/4 cup Diamond Crystal or 2 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. Morton kosher salt, 1 Tbs. freshly ground black pepper, 1 Tbs. light brown sugar and 1 Tbs. sage in a small bowl; this is your dry brine.
To spatchcock the turkey, place one 12–14-lb. turkey, neck and giblets removed, patted dry, breast side down, on a cutting board. Using sharp kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the backbone to remove it. Using a chef’s knife, make a small incision down the long oblong bone in the center of breast. Turn turkey skin side up and press down on breastbone to flatten—you should hear a crack.
Place turkey, skin side up, on a wire rack set inside a large rimmed baking sheet. Rub dry brine all over turkey, pressing to adhere, and chill, uncovered, 12–18 hours. (The skin should look tight and dry.)
Place a rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 425°. Remove wire rack with turkey from baking sheet; set aside. Rinse off excess salt from baking sheet and dry. Place a few layers of aluminum foil on baking sheet (this will make clean up much easier) and return rack with turkey to baking sheet. Tuck wing tips behind breast to prevent then from burning in the oven. Let sit at room temperature 30 minutes.
Mix 1/2 C unsalted butter, room temperature, 1/4 C thyme leaves, from 8–10 sprigs, and 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped, in a small bowl. Using your hands, carefully separate skin from meat as best as you can and rub butter mixture under the skin. Rub turkey all over with 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil.
Pour ½ cup water into baking sheet and roast spatchcock turkey, rotating baking sheet halfway through, until skin is deep golden brown and crisp and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breast registers 150°, about 1 hour 25 minutes. (Start checking temperature after 1 hour, or use meat thermometer with a probe that you can leave in the breast while it roasts.) Transfer cooked turkey to a cutting board. Let turkey rest 15–20 minutes before carving.
Bake
2023