Turkey is spatchcocked, then slathered in a special red pepper & feta marinade before cooking and serving with lemon potatoes

This Thanksgiving we have a lot to be thankful for in spite of the hardships that have hit most of us in 2020. Since social distancing must be practiced, we have to think small. I found the perfect small turkey and since it’s a utility Turkey, it has some defects, just like the year we’re living in.

Every year I try to make a different type of Turkey and last week it just dawned on me to try a delicious Greek style bird with all the trimmings. Greek style roast chicken is famous and I applied this to the Turkey and served it with lemon roast potatoes. Opaaaaaaaa

To cook the bird faster, I spatchcocked it aka removed the spine and layed it flat. This is a great technique to cook both Chickens & Turkeys.

Greek style Turkey

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Ingredients
  

  • 8 lbs Turkey fresh or defrosted

Brine

  • Lemon slices
  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 1/2 cup Salt
  • 4 litres Water

Butter blend

  • 1 tbsp room temp soft butter
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil
  • Salt
  • 1 tsp fresh Oregano and
  • 1 tsp Chilli flakes

Red Pepper & Feta sauce/marinade

  • 340 ml – bottled Red Peppers 2
  • Salt to taste
  • 5 cloves Garlic
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 cup Feta cheese
  • 1/2 cup Yogurt
  • 1 tbsp Chilli flakes
  • 1 tbsp fresh Oregano leaves

Greek Lemon Potatoes

  • 1 lb Yukon Gold Potatoes
  • 1/4 cup Olive Oil
  • 50 ml Lemon juice 1/2 Lemon
  • 3 tsps crushed Garlic
  • 1 tbsp Oregano
  • Salt & Pepper to taste
  • 3/4 cup Chicken or Veggie stock

Extras

  • Lemon slices
  • Fresh Oregano sprigs

Instructions
 

  • Brine the Turkey by adding a defrosted Turkey to a bag with lemon slices, salt & sugar and the water and allow the turkey to brine for 24 hrs
  • Once done, drain all the brine and pat the turkey dry
  • Using a meat scissors remove the spine if spatchcocking the bird (see video)
  • In a roasting pan, create a layer of lemon and fresh oregano and place the bird on top of it
  • Prepare the butter blend by mixing all the butter bland ingredients together
  • Pull the skin away from the flesh of the turkey and insert blobs of this butter
  • Prepare the red pepper & feta sauce by blending the ingredients together
  • Cut the potatoes into wedges
    Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, stock, garlic, oregano, salt & pepper and toss the potatoes in it
    Cook in a preheated oven for 20 mins, then remove, turn and cook for another 25 mins
    Remove the excess liquid, and continue cooking, turning the potatoes at intervals till the outer skin gets crispy
  • Spoon a few tbsps of this marinade over the bird and brush all over the skin
  • Place uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 1 hr
  • Remove, add some more marinade and cook covered for another hr
  • Remove, add more marinade and baste and cook for another 15 mins or so
  • Let rest before carving