The Ultimate Turducken Food

THE TURDUCKEN: BONELESS TURKEY STUFFED WITH A BONELESS DUCK AND BONELESS CHICKEN "ONE BIG BIRD"

Steps:

• For the andouille sausage stuffing: In a large bowl, mix the pork, liquid smoke, garlic, salt paprika, black pepper, chili pepper flakes, mace, allspice, ground bay leaves, sage and cayenne pepper, if using, with some cold water. In a pan or on a flat-top, brown off the sausage mixture in about 3 teaspoons of bacon fat for flavor. Once the sausage mixture is browned, chill immediately.
• For the Spinach stuffing: Melt the butter in large skillet. Add the spinach, onion, fennel seed, salt and white pepper and saute for 5 minutes until hot. Set aside to cool.
• Preparation of the duck and chicken: It is wise to de-bone the duck and chicken first for practice. Place the fresh chicken breast-side down on large cutting board. Starting at the bird's neck, you will cut through the skin along the length of the spine. Using the tip of the knife and starting from the neck end, separate the meat from the rib cage on 1 side. Disjoint the wing from the shoulder blade and reserve for stock. Work towards the thigh bone, cut through the ball and socket joint and "pop" loose using upward pressure with your hand from under the bird. Using your thumbnail, loosen the "oyster meat" (the most tender part) from the frame. With the knife, remove the thigh and leg bone, but keep the leg attached to the bird. Repeat the process on other side of chicken. When both sides are finished, the bird will lay flat. Grab rib cage by the neck area and gently pull towards back to remove the entire carcass and breast bone cartilage. Repeat the same de-boning procedure for the duck. In a well ventilated area or with an exhaust fan on high, preheat a large cast-iron pan to very hot. Rub the boneless chicken and duck with olive oil. Generously sprinkle with blackening spice on both sides. Place skin-side down in the pan for 1 to 2 minutes then turn over and repeat. Refrigerate.
• De-bone the turkey using the same procedure as the chicken and duck with 2 exceptions: The turkey wings should be left attached to the meat and the bone-in drumstick should be disjointed from the boneless thigh meat and left attached to the meat. The final product should be a flat boneless turkey (except for the wings and drumsticks).
• To stuff the turducken: Place the turkey skin-side down on a flat surface. Rub the meat with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons chopped fresh garlic and 1 tablespoon blackening spice. Spread an even layer of cornbread dressing over the meat about 3/4 inch thick and pat down with hands. Spread 1/4-inch layer of spinach stuffing. Sprinkle with 2 cups of the andouille sausage stuffing. On top, place 6 to 8 slices of roasted red bell peppers. Place the chilled duck, skin-side down, on top of layered stuffing. Repeat the layered stuffing as above. Arrange the chilled chicken, skin-side down, on top of the stuffed duck. Spread the remainder of the stuffing on top of chicken. Press down gently with hands to compact all ingredients.
• To truss the turducken: This may take another person's help. Lift the sides of the turkey together. Have a helper hold the bird closed while sewing the back of the turkey together using butcher's twine, making the stitches about 1 inch apart, starting at the back of turkey and working towards the neck. Be careful since the Turducken has no boney frame. Roll over breast-side-up and finish sewing the neck portion of bird. Tie off and cut twine. Now sew up the opening at the leg section of turkey. Truss the legs together with twine. For extra support, tie butcher's twine around the bird's width every 3 inches down along the bird's length. Position your hands evenly under the turducken and lift into a large roasting pan with rack inside. The pan should be at least 3-inches deep to catch drippings during cooking. Rub the entire exposed skin of the bird with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of blackening spice and salt. Add 1/2 cup water to the bottom of the roasting pan. Wrap the drumsticks with aluminum foil. Place parchment paper over the entire bird. Loosely tent the roasting pan with aluminum foil. Bake at 200 degrees F for 12 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Remove all foil and parchment paper the last hour of roasting time and turn up temperature to 325 degrees F. Baste with the drippings. When done, remove from the oven and let set in the roasting pan for at least 1 hour. With 2 heavy duty spatulas, insert underneath and remove the turducken from the rack to place on carving platter. Remove all butcher twine, including pulling out the portion along the spine. To serve, cut the turducken in half lengthwise, then cut servings crosswise in approximately 1-inch thicknesses. Serve with gravy and enjoy.

TURDUCKEN RECIPE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Place 2 1/4 cups of the bread stuffing in a bowl. Place 1 1/2 cups of the cornbread stuffing in another bowl.
• Place the remaining 1/2 cup of bread stuffing in a third bowl and add the remaining 1/2 cup of the cornbread stuffing. Add the whole berry cranberry sauce and pecans and toss gently to combine. You should now have 3 separate bowls of stuffings.
• In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the butter, garlic, sage, and thyme until the herbs are finely chopped.
• Gently run your hand under the turkey skin to make sort of a pocket, but do not separate the skin completely from the meat. Distribute the herb butter mixture evenly under the skin.
• Rub the skin with the browning sauce, then the olive oil. Sprinkle generously with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
• Preheat the oven to 300 F. Flip the deboned turkey over so it is open and skin-side down. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread bread stuffing evenly over the turkey cavity.
• Place the duck on top of the bread stuffing, skin-side down. Spread the cranberry nut stuffing on top of the open duck cavity.
• Top with the chicken, skin-side down. Spread cornbread stuffing on top of the open chicken cavity. Skewer the back of the chicken closed.
• Bring up the sides of the duck to cover the chicken. Skewer the back of the duck closed.
• Repeat the process with the turkey.
• Carefully turn the turducken over so it is seam-side down and breast-side up. If possible, remove all skewers except the last one holding the turkey together.
• Place the turducken in a heavy roaster. Roast 3 to 4 hours, or until a meat thermometer inserted in the very center of the chicken stuffing reaches 165 F. Baste once per hour with pan juices. If turducken begins to get too brown, tent loosely with heavy-duty aluminum foil that has been coated with vegetable spray.
• Let the turducken rest 30 minutes before carving . Slice the turducken across the breast to show off each layer.

THE LEGENDARY TURDUCKEN

Steps:

• For the cornbread:
• Combine the water, sugar, and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and mix on low speed until well combined. Increase the speed to medium and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Cook's Note: Kneading the dough can also be done by hand.
• Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size. Knock the air out for 30 seconds by punching it down. You can now shape the dough into a ball, then place it onto a flour-dusted baking tray lined with parchment paper. Brush the top of the cornbread with egg wash, sprinkle the top with flour and coarse salt. Let it sit in a warm spot for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven at 400 degrees F.
• Bake the cornbread for approximately 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
• Cook's Note: You can tell if it's cooked by tapping its bottom. If it sounds hollow it's done, if it doesn't then pop it back in for a little longer. Once cooked, place the bread on a rack and allow it to cool for about 1 1/2 hours.
• For the stuffing:
• Cube up the cooled cornbread and set aside.
• In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the Morteau sausage and cook for about 5 minutes, until golden brown. Add the onions, celery, pepper, and garlic and continue cooking until translucent, about 5 minutes. Deglaze with the veal stock. Add in the cornbread. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the oysters and their liquid, parsley, paprika, and melted butter. Season the stuffing with salt, and pepper, to taste. Reserve the stuffing in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• To assemble the turducken:
• Spread the deboned turkey, skin-side down on a flat surface, exposing as much meat as possible. Sprinkle the meat generously and evenly with a total of about 3 tablespoons of the smoked paprika, patting the seasoning in with your hands. Cook's Note: Be sure to turn the leg, thigh and wing meat to the outside so you can season it too. Season the turkey with salt and pepper.
• Then stuff some of the stuffing in the leg, thigh and wing cavities until full but not tightly packed. Cook's Note: If too tightly packed, it may cause the leg and wing to burst open during cooking). Spread an even layer of the stuffing over the remaining exposed meat, about 1/2 to 3/4-inches thick. You should use a total of about 4 cups of stuffing.
• For the duck: Remove some of the fat and keep aside. Place the duck, skin-side down, on top of the stuffing, arranging the duck evenly over the stuffing. Season the exposed duck meat generously and evenly with smoked paprika, using about 1 tablespoon, and pressing it in with your hands. Season the duck with salt and pepper. Then spread about 1 cup of the stuffing evenly over the exposed duck meat, making the layer slightly less thick, about 1/2-inch thick. Repeat with the chicken and the remaining stuffing. Place an Italian truffle in the center, optional.
• Enlist someone's help to close turducken. Fold the sides of the turkey together to close the bird. Have your helper hold the turkey closed while you sew up all the openings, making the stitches about 1-inch apart. When you finish sewing up the turducken on the first side, turn it over in the pan to sew closed any openings on the other side. Then tie the legs together, just above the tip bones. Leave the turducken to cook, breast-side up, in the pan, tucking in the turkey wings.
• Serving suggestion: Serve with Root Vegetable Mash.
• With the assistance of your helper, carefully lift the turducken into an ungreased 15 by 11-inch baking pan that is at least 2 1/2-inches deep. Cook's Note: This pan size is ideal because the turducken fits snugly in the pan and stays in the proper shape while cooking).
• Place the turducken pan in a slightly larger pan with sides at least 2 1/2-inches deep, so that the larger pan will catch the overflow of drippings during cooking. Season the exposed side of the turducken with the remaining smoked paprika, patting it in with your hands. Brush with melted butter.
• Bake the turducken at 325 degrees F, about 4 hours, until done, or until a meat thermometer inserted through to the center reads 165 degrees F. When done, remove the turducken from the oven and let rest for about 15 minutes
• For the gravy:
• Place the turducken drippings in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the stock, fresh thyme, and beurre manie. Season the gravy with salt, and pepper, to taste. Let the gravy come to a boil. Turn down heat to medium-low and let the gravy simmer for 10 minutes.
• Cook's Note: Remember there are no bones to support the birds' structure.
• With strong spatulas inserted underneath the bird, carefully transfer the turducken to a serving platter and present it to your guests before carving. Be sure to make your slices crosswise so that each slice contains the stuffing and all 3 meats. Serve additional bowls of the dressings on the side and serve with the gravy and the Root Vegetable Mash, if desired.
• Cook's Notes: Stuffing and assembling the turducken can be done 1 day ahead and kept in the refrigerator.
• Beurre manie is 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons flour. This is used to help thicken sauces.

TURDUCKEN

Steps:

• The day before serving, cook pancetta in large sauté pan over low heat for 6 to 8 minutes, until fat is rendered and pancetta is browned. Drain on paper towels. Add sausage to pan in bite-size pieces, and cook sausage until no longer pink, breaking up into 1/2-inch pieces as you go. Drain on paper towels.
• Pour off fat in pan. Add oil, along with chopped onion, carrot and celery, and garlic and fennel seed. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add all non-bony parts of chicken and duck giblets, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until giblets are almost cooked through, about 5 minutes, turning once partway through. Raise heat to high and pour in brandy. Reduce until almost gone, then shut off heat and stir in tarragon and thyme. Remove giblets from pan and chop into 1/2-inch pieces. In a large bowl, fold together pancetta, sausage, vegetables, giblets and bread cubes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Let cool and chill overnight.
• The next morning, lay turkey out on counter, skin side down. Season with salt and pepper. Spread 1/3 of stuffing over its surface, mostly in empty center cavity between breast meat halves. Trim about 2/3 of fat from duck, leaving some fat over breast sections. Butterfly duck drumsticks. Lay duck pieces on top of turkey in their corresponding parts, fitting duck leg meat in cavity left by turkey thigh bones. Season with salt and pepper. Spread 1/3 of stuffing on duck. Lay chicken on top, again skin side down and corresponding in arrangement to turkey. Season with salt and pepper, and spread with remaining stuffing.
• Heat oven to 250 degrees. Thread a carpet or upholstery needle with 2 feet of thin twine. Sew turkey legs back into original shape, if necessary, with duck and chicken meat and stuffing inside the thighs.
• Rethread the needle with 3 feet of twine. Beginning at tail end, begin pulling sides of turkey together, reforming its body, stitching every inch or so. Have someone hold bird while you stitch. Do not sew turducken together too tightly or it will split open when cooking.
• Turn bird over; if necessary, sew together any parts of skin that may have ripped. With a 4-foot piece of twine, truss it as you would a chicken, wrapping the twine around tips of drumsticks (or loaf end), then crisscrossing it and going down around base of drumsticks. Crisscross twine under bird, then bring it up sides and crisscross it on top, wrapping it down and around wings, crisscrossing it on back side, and up again, tying it over breast.
• Season roasting pan with salt and pepper. Place turducken in pan breast side up, and season it. Place chicken and duck wings, along with as many halved onions or carrots fit, in pan.
• Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake. After 2 hours, begin checking bird every 30 minutes or so, and basting when juices form. Turn pan every now and then so it cooks evenly. When a thermometer inserted in turducken reads 130 degrees (probably about 4 or 5 hours), remove aluminum foil and turn up heat to 375 degrees. Baste every 15 minutes or so, until turducken reaches 165 degrees at its thickest point. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes or so. With sturdy spatulas, lift onto platter. Cover turducken with foil, and let sit another 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, strain pan juices and spoon off fat.
• Using a bread knife or carving knife, slice turducken like a loaf of bread. Serve, passing cooking juices.

TURDUCKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lay the boned chicken skin-side down on a platter and season liberally with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning. Lay the boned duck skin-side down on top of the chicken and season liberally with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning. Cover and refrigerate.
• Lay the boned turkey skin-side down on a flat surface. Cover with a layer of cold Sausage and Oyster Dressing and push the dressing into the leg and wing cavities so they will look as if they still have bones in them.
• Lay the duck on top of the turkey skin-side down and cover it with a layer of cold dressing. Lay the chicken on top of the duck skin-side down and cover it with a layer of cold dressing.
• With the help of an assistant, bring the edges of the turkey skin up and fasten them together with toothpicks. Use the kitchen string to lace around the toothpicks to help hold the stuffed turkey together. Carefully place the turducken, breast up in a large roasting pan.
• Roast covered for 4 hours or until the turducken is golden brown. Continue to roast uncovered for 1 hour or until a meat thermometer inserted through the thigh registers 180 degrees F. and a thermometer inserted through the stuffing registers 165 degrees F. Check the turducken every few hours to baste and remove excess liquid. There will be enough pan juices for a gallon of gravy. Carve and serve.

TURDUCKEN

Steps:

• For pesto, place the sage, parsley, Parmesan cheese, garlic and salt in a food processor; cover and process until blended. While processing, gradually add oil in a steady stream; set aside., In a large skillet, saute fennel and onion in butter until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in salt and pepper. In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes, pears, hazelnuts, fennel mixture and 1/2 cup reserved pesto. In another bowl, whisk broth and egg substitute. Pour over bread mixture; stir until moistened. Cover and refrigerate until assembly., Place turkey skin side down on a work surface; press 5 cups stuffing mixture over turkey. Layer with duck skin side down and 4 cups stuffing. Top with chicken skin side down and remaining stuffing., Carefully pull turkey skin over filling. Truss turkey skin at 1-in. intervals with a large needle and kitchen string. Tuck wings under turkey; tie drumsticks together. Place breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Brush with oil., Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 5-1/4 to 5-3/4 hours or until a thermometer reads 180° in the center of turducken, basting occasionally with pan drippings. Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly. During the last 30 minutes of cooking, brush remaining pesto over turducken. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes before slicing.