Step one: spatchcock your bird. Remove from refrigerator; cut off the wrapping and remove the neck and giblets from inside the bird (return them to the fridge if you plan on using them later or discard). Place the turkey on the board breast down. With a sharp knife, slice down along each side of the backbone as far as you can go (to the bone). This is where you will be cutting. The bigger the bird the more difficult this will be, but don't worry, you can do it. Take your shears and cut all the way through the incisions you just made. This may be a bit tough. You made need to hack through it with a cleaver. Stand it up if you need to. Watch your fingers and hands of anyone you might have enlisted to help you and hack away. When you have it out, throw it into the fridge or into the stock pot. Next, flip the bird over and push down on the center of the breast to flatten it; you should hear a “crack”. OK, you are done! Hopefully that wasn't so hard. Dab the turkey dry with paper towels, and place it on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Depending on the size of the turkey, cook using the following instructions as a guide:
For a 12-14 pound turkey, cook in a 450 degree oven for 80-100 minutes or until the instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165 degrees.
For a 16-18 pound turkey, cook in a 450 degree oven for 30 minutes, then lower temperature to 375 degrees, and cook for another 60-90 minutes or until the an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165 degrees.
When cooked, remove from oven and let stand for 20 minutes before carving.
Variations:
Use Butter or a combination of Olive oil and butter instead of just oil.
Add your favorite fresh or dried herbs and garlic.
Brine the turkey before cooking.
Recipe by Have You Eaten, SF? at https://haveyoueatensf.com/spatchcock-turkey/