Crisp-Skinned Butterflied Roast Turkey with Gravy

Simple and flawless production of a juicy turkey. My 13 lb turkey cooked in just 80 minutes.

For the first 40 minutes, we positioned the turkey on top of stuffing, and for the second 40 minutes, we moved it to above a large cookie sheet with vegetables (celery and carrots).

Our only issue was being able to catch the juices dripping off the drumsticks in the second phase of cooking. We eventually tied the drumstick to the wing, to hold it in position.

This recipe produced perfectly juicy breast meat and thigh meat that was fully cooked (and also perfect). I don't eat the skin, but it was crackly and looked delicious.

After roasting the turkey itself, I then roasted the removed back and neck, then prepared broth using these roasted bones and the vegetables that had been under the turkey (to stop grease flare-ups). Of course we will also have the carcass for yet another round of broth.

Removing the backbone was not as easy as for a chicken. The hardest part is popping the thigh bones out of the socket. I finally rotated the back about 10 times, holding the thighs in place. It was pretty gross, but the end result was worth it.