Turducken

[col klink]

Turducken

Serves 25 as Main Dish.

The turducken is a mysterious bird that most people have long thought extinct. Though they are hard to find, one can easily duplicate the flavor and texture of a turducken by assembling three different birds and stuffing one inside the next: a duck, a chicken and a turkey. This is no easy task and some people would rather hunt one down in the wild, but for those who are adventuresome and don't mind getting dirty, here's how.

• 
  

Turducken

• 1 duck (3 - 4 lbs)
  
• 1 chicken (3 - 4 lbs)
  
• 1 turkey (18 - 21 lbs)
  

Brine

• 1 gal water
  
• 1 c Kosher salt
  
• 1 c brown sugar
  

Stuffing

• 1 package Hot Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage
  
• 1 yellow onion
  
• 1 lb mushrooms
  
• 1 medium apple
  
• 1 c butter
  
• 2 stalks celery
  
• package stuffing mix
  
• chicken stock as required
  

My method of praparing a turducken takes two days. On the first the three birds are deboned and then brined. The following day the stuffing is made and then the turducken is assembled and cooked. Though the brining adds a day to the preparation, it is very necessary. Besides making the meat juicier and taste better, it dramatically reduces the cooking time. Deboning the birds will take up to two hours, stuffing less than a half an hour and assembly will take about an hour. Cooking time depends on method, in a smoker at 225 F five hours is sufficient to bring the internal temperature to 155 F and the outside to 165 F which is perfect. Roasting will produce a crisper skin if you put the turducken in at a 500 degree oven for 15 minutes then bring down to 225.

Deboning

The order of the birds shouldn't matter, but I like to start with the smaller birds and leave the turkey for last as the turkey skin is what is presented to your guests. The duck and the chicken will be completely deboned but the drumsticks of the turkey will be left for presentation purposes. Hopefully I won't have to mention this, but your knives should be very sharp otherwise you will risk cutting yourself. You will primarily use your boning knife but your chef's knife will come in handy for cutting through some of the bones.

The duck and the chicken will be very similar to debone. First cut the wings off at the first joint. Reserve with giblets and extra skin for gravy. Flip over and cut along the spine of the bird and gradually pull the skin and eventually meat away from the carcass of the bird. Make your way from neck to tail staying along the carcus. Make sure not to miss the oysters which are along the spine between the thighs and the wings. Be aware that there will be shoulder blades to cut around. I find it's easiest to seperate the breasts before completely boning the legs. Be careful as you work your way to the breastplate as you don't want to cut a whole in the breast skin. After boning the legs remove tendons in the drumsticks.

After boning the duck and the chicken, the turkey will be easier. Be careful to leave the skin as intact as possible as it will be holding everything together. Leave the drumstick bones in for final presentation, it will better resmemble an actual bird this way.

Brine

Mix salt and sugar with the water. Brine is ready when the mixture is completely dissolved. If the water is heated to quicken the process, make sure it is cooled to room temp before placing meat in. Let the three birds sit in brine in the refrigerator overnight.

Stuffing

I prepare the stuffing according to the recipe on the back fo the commerical mix and add sauteed breakfast sausage, onions, mushrooms, apple and celery. I melt the butter in a separate pot and add the stock, stuffing and sauteed ingredients. This step can be done the day before.

Assembly

Lay turkey skin side down on a flat surface preferably on a layer of paper towels as it will be wet from the brine. Next put a 1/4" layer of stuffing down. Lay duck skin side down on top of stuffing and then another layer of stuffing. Repeat with the chicken.

Begin trussing up the turkey at the neck. Insert metal skewer about half an inch from the edge and up through the other side. Run butcher's twine between skin and skewer and tighten to draw both sides together. Continue down to legs. At least every other skewer, also draw together the duck skin and if possible the chicken skin as well. Tie together turkey legs to resemble standard turkey.

Preparation

If you have a smoker, by all means smoke your turducken. It will be far more flavorful that way. Just smoke at 225 and rotate every 20 to 30 minutes and try to keep flare ups from the fire to a minimum.

If you're roasting the turducken, place in a 500F degree oven for 15 minutes and then turn it down to 225F to finish. You can baste if you like but the skin won't be as crispy. Pull the bird when the internal temperature (the chicken) reaches 155F. Let rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.

Serving

For the most "oohs" and "ahs" cut across the middle of the breast completely through. Give thin slices containing turkey, duck and chicken and top with gravy made of the giblets and stock of the carcusses. Goes well with roasted potatoes.

Keywords: Main Dish, Expert, Duck, Chicken, Turkey

( RG192 )