On Wed, 20 Nov 2019 23:13:33 -0700, U.S. Janet B. >
wrote:

>On Thu, 21 Nov 2019 00:36:49 -0500, Dave >
>wrote:
>
>>Anyone with experience know what size of pan will be required for a
>>12-pound turkey? We have a large roaster (17"x13") and rack for it.
>>Big enough?
>>
>>Dave
>
>I don't think so, but maybe. It's going to be close. I was thinking
>of spatch cocking a turkey of that size and only doing half. I guess
>we'll both see.
>Janet US


I didn't notice spatchcock in the subject, I only read the body of the
post and it doesn't mention spatchcock. Personally I'd never consider
spatchcocking large poultry, It's a technique meant for small poultry
like 3 pouund chickens. Spatchcocking a turkey will result in several
varying thicknesses needing different cooking times. I typically buy
roasting chickens, of 7-8 pounds and would never consider
spatchcocking, I would roast them whole or disjoint into quarters,
sixths, or usually eighths... then I can easily check each part for
doneness. The only reason I roast my Thanksgiving turkey whole is it
makes for a more traditional service... tradition is the only reason I
roast a turkey for Thanksgiving. The more I think about it the more
I think spatchcocking a turkey is something for the mentally ill or
someone who has never cooked anything more than a turkey TV dinner.
I don't much like turkey so I never buy it other than for Thanksgiving
dinner. Even aboard ship most didn't like turkey, however it was
prepared for tradition. If in port I'd feed over a thousand lots of
guests... all 20 large ovens were filled with 25 lb turkeys and 25 lb
fresh hams... the hams were devoured twice as fast. The cooking was
easy, the difficult part was just me doing all the carving at super
speed, but way back then I could, I'm sure I can no longer. We only
had three cooks on board and only one on duty to prepare and serve the
holiday meals and I always volunteered. I did all the baking and
desserts as well. Anyone here think they can stay awake all night to
bake pies, bread, cakes cookies, and make ice cream to feed a
thousand+ and then first thing in the morning begin on the turkeys,
hams, and all the sides? And I boned and tied about 30 whole hams
before I cooked them... I bet I can still bone and tie a ham in under
2 minutes. Had to be boned or no way I could carve quick enough.
Thinking back I don't know how I did it. Well no way I saved the
bones for stock as I would now, bones all flung out my porthole into
the sea. Since I didn't personally pay for the hams I didn't have to
carefully trim, but still I did as it was my nature then as it is now
not to waste food. Sometimes I still wake in the middle of the night
thinking of how many thousands of gallons of beautiful stock I could
have made from what I deep sixed... we weren't very careful about
trimming veggies either. Every day for many years the US Navy deep
sixes more food than can feed a dozen third world nations... but what
is one to do with perishables with no storage space... war ships have
pitifully little storage space. The definition of a war ship is a
platform for guns and ammo.