42 NOVEMBER 2019
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DRY-BRINED TURKEY
FOR THE JUICIEST—and easiest—turkey, there’s
just one way to go: the Judy Rodgers way.
The late chef of Zuni Cafe in San Francisco
was the master of poultry, and the method
for her famous roast chicken—using a dry
brine to render meat deeply flavorful and
very tender—applies to turkey as well. After
the initial layer of salt pulls moisture out of
the meat, it’s drawn right back in, where
“salt changes the proteins—they ‘open up,’
enabling them to entrap more moisture than
before,” Rodgers wrote in The Zuni Cafe
Cookbook. As for that crispy skin? Let the
bird chill uncovered for the last hours to dry
the skin out so it becomes shatteringly crisp
in the oven. In the F&W test kitchen, we
spatchcocked the turkey for quicker, more
even cooking and roasted it over a bed of
lime and ginger for a fresh flavor profile that
goes beautifully with a Coconut-Lemongrass
Gravy (For a classic take, swap onions and
sage for the limes and ginger, and make your
favorite gravy.) —KELSEY YOUNGMAN
SPATCHCOCK
Place turkey, breast
side down, on a work
surface. Using poultry
shears and beginning at
tail end, cut along each
side of backbone,
separating backbone
from turkey. Remove
backbone; save for
stock or discard.
AIR CHILL
Place turkey on a wire
rack set snugly inside
an 18- x 13-inch rimmed
baking sheet. Tuck wing
tips under turkey (so
they don’t burn when
roasted). Turn turkey
breast side down. Cover
with plastic wrap, and
refrigerate 36 hours.
BUTTER AND ROAST
Remove turkey from
refrigerator. Let turkey
stand at room
temperature 1 hour.
Place butter under
loosened skin of breast
and legs. Pour stock
into baking sheet. Bake
in preheated oven as
directed.
PREPARE AROMATICS
Spread ginger, limes,
and garlic in an even
layer on a clean
rimmed baking sheet.
Top with a wire rack.
Add turkey, breast side
up; pat skin dry with
paper towels. Refriger-
ate, uncovered, 6 to 12
hours.
FLATTEN TURKEY
Turn turkey breast side
up on work surface.
Using the heels of your
hands, press firmly
against breastbone until
it cracks and turkey
breast flattens.
PRE-SEASON
Loosen skin from
breast and legs by gen-
tly pushing your fingers
between skin and meat.
Rub kosher salt under
skin, on skin, and in tur-
key cavit y.
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