That sounds awesome!

Unfortunately, I've been spoiled by living on the coast with access to fresh seafood. The only oysters I can get in my current locale are canned, and the thought of that horrifies me.

But I am saving your idea for a future Thanksgiving, hopefully nearer the salt water.

This is effing genius.

Hmm, cooked carrots could be nice.

I've heard lots of great things about butterflying a turkey. I will have to see if I'm ready to take it to that level this year.

When I was growing up my mother put whole carrots and celery sticks in our Thanksgiving turkey, and after the turkey came out I always ate several of the carrots immediately. I don't even like carrots all that much, and they're not exactly exotic, but man, those are great. Maybe carrots and quartered apples, just for kicks? I'm not enough into onion to use much of it, but I'm sure it's good too.

Whenever I roast chicken I spatchcock it (butterfly it, as mentioned above, but isn't that a great word?) and lay it on top of chunks of carrot, potato, turnip, etc. They absorb the juices and end up pretty tasty too, though they don't steam as well as they do inside the bird. As for the chicken, spatchcocking is indeed efficient and effective, though obviously different aesthetically.

I'll probably try spatchcocking someday (spatchcock spatchcock spatchcock). Unfortunately, I only have a tiny propane oven and I don't think a butterflied bird would fit. I can't even get a standard cookie sheet or a large pizza in there.

Carrot pieces and quartered apples. This is going to happen.

We make a giblet gravy out of all those delicious parts. Once they're all chopped up really fine, they really do add a whole lot of awesome flavor.

Yep, don't worry. Giblets are coming out for the gravy, I won't forget. But thanks for the warning!

Oooo, that sounds de-LIGHT-ful. Thanks for the tip!

Ooo, like, whole garlic cloves? Roasting in the turkey so you can spread them on your rolls later? Me likey.