70 Minute Butterflied Roast Turkey

Notes: Make sure your turkey isn’t any bigger than 12 pounds or it won’t cook in time. Salting and putting baking powder on the skin and letting it chill overnight makes for moist meat and a very crisp-skinned turkey, but you can skip this step if you don’t have time. The turkey might look a little blotchy and red after the overnight salting. That’s OK. Serves 8-9 people.

1. Put the turkey breast-side down on a cutting board. Using kitchen shears, cut down one side of the backbone and then cut down the other side. Chop off the wing tips. Reserve wing tips and backbone for stock. Open turkey like a book. Flip turkey over and press down as hard as you can on the breastbone to flatten the bird. Put it cut side down on a rack set in a roasting pan and sprinkle the baking powder and salt over the skin. Refrigerate overnight, or at least 6 hours, uncovered.

2. Take turkey out of the fridge about an hour before cooking and let it come to room temperature. Preheat oven to 450F.

3. Roast turkey for 70 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the juice runs clear when turkey is pierced with a knife. Let rest for 30 minutes before carving.