Roasted Turkey in a Flash

Several years ago, my brother, a manager at Cross Creek restaurant, had a problem with their smoker. People would pay the restaurant to smoke their turkeys for Thanksgiving. They would pick them up Thanksgiving morning. Well, that year (and their last) the smoker broke down overnigh,t so no turkeys! You can imagine how upset the customers were. Not only did they not have a smoked turkey for Thanksgiving, but even if they bought another one, there wasn.t enough time to cook it.

Well, Mark Bittman has the answer. He shows you how to roast that turkey in only 45 minutes instead of 3-4 hours. Check out the video here!

And if you don't want to watch the video, here's the recipe:

"Mark Bittman’s 45-Minute Turkey
by Mark Bittman

When it comes to holiday cooking, I imagine your goals and mine are the same--to make good food for celebrations and gatherings of family and friends without going nuts. But even the most modest Thanksgiving meal takes four times as much energy as an average dinner, if not more. You’ll be serving more people than usual, and more

courses than usual. And, for many of us, one of those courses will be a turkey. (Of course, you can buck tradition and still have a wonderful meal; I've eaten everything from crown roast of pork to rice and beans at Thanksgiving.)

The vision of a table laden with harvest-season delights is a beguiling one, but remember that the more courses you prepare, the greater the logistics of maneuvering all that food through the limits of your oven, refrigerator, and counter space in such a way that everything finishes together. So, my primary piece of advice: Do not be overly ambitious. A six-course Thanksgiving meal at which everyone is happy is far better, regardless of the food, than a twelve-course meal at which the host has a nervous breakdown. We’ve all seen that happen.

Choosing a turkey presents a similar contrast between what looks impressive and what’s realistic. Bigger may seem better, but your basic Thanksgiving-sized turkey (say, twelve pounds or more? maybe twenty in your case?) is way too big to mess around with. For many of us, just getting a pan big enough to hold the thing is an issue, and figuring how to turn something whose size is about the same as that of your nephew is not most people’s idea of a good yearly activity. (Myself, I’d rather be out cleaning roof gutters.)

This recipe for 45-Minute Roast Turkey simplifies the process enormously. (Don’t let removing the backbone intimidate you; it’s not that difficult.) Unorthodox though it may sound, you’ll thank me: It will be done in about 40 minutes. Really. It will also be more evenly browned, more evenly cooked, and moister than a conventionally roasted bird. It only works for small turkeys (8 to 12 pounds) but, again, that makes it easier to handle. And it will still serve 10 at least, and more if you’re all OK with eating less meat--something I recommend anyway.

45–Minute Roast Turkey

MAKES: At least 10 servings
TOTAL TIME: 45 minutes

One 8- to 12-pound turkey
10 or more garlic cloves, lightly crushed
Several sprigs fresh tarragon or thyme or several pinches dried
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil or melted butte
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the oven to 450°F. Put the turkey on a stable cutting board, breast side down, and cut out the backbone (use a heavy knife to cut on each side of the backbone, cutting from front to rear). Turn the bird over and press on it to flatten. Put it breast side up in a roasting pan that will accommodate it (a slightly snug fit is okay). The wings should partially cover the breasts, and the legs should protrude a bit.

2. Tuck the garlic and the herb under the bird and in the nooks of the wings and legs. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.

3. Roast for 20 minutes, undisturbed. By this time the bird should be browning; remove it from the oven, baste with the pan juices, and return it to the oven. Reduce the heat to 400°F (or 350°F if it seems to be browning very quickly).

4. Begin to check the bird’s temperature about 15 minutes later (10 minutes if the bird is on the small side). It is done when the thigh meat measures 155–165°F on an instant-read meat thermometer; check it in a couple of places.

5. Let the bird rest for a few minutes before carving, then serve with the garlic cloves and pan juices. (Or make gravy.) Or serve at room temperature."