The traditional Thanksgiving spread gives me the same nostalgic pangs that most Americans feel this time of year. But I can’t deny a basic fact: Even at its best, a classic roast turkey is always just a little bit boring. And so I’m left with the same decision millions of others weigh each year: whether to stick to the comfort of tradition or try to shake things up by doing something different. The risk of going different, though, is that sometimes it just doesn’t scratch the Thanksgiving itch in quite the right way.
So, I’ve assembled a list of a few roast turkey flavor variations (several of which are my own creations) that walk a delicate line, preserving the inherent turkey-ness of the turkey while giving it a significant boost in the flavor department. In several of these recipes, our recommended spatchcocking method is used, which guarantees the most evenly cooked meat, the crispest skin, and the quickest cooking time. That said, you could adapt any of these glazes, rubs, and flavorings to a more traditional method for a whole roasted turkey.
A final note that these birds are all so flavorful that they more than stand on their own, which means that pairing them with your typical gravy could be overkill. Instead, I recommend a light jus made from the reserved turkey spine, spooned on top for a little extra moisture. (Of course, if you want to go ahead and make gravy anyway, nobody’s gonna stop you!) Read on for a description of each.
