Turducken

[ssherwood]

I'm cooking Turducken for my staff this year and I've found very little info on it, so I'm trying this experiment and I'll post my findings. Turkey, stuffed with duck, stuffed with chicken.

We are adding a squab and a sausage in to the mix, so we'll have to rename ours the TURDUCKENAUBAGE. Either way. It's in the oven now at low temp, I'll hopefully have pics tomorrow!

Anyone ever try this at before?

[tsquare]

Here are a few past threads:

Dec 2004

Nov 2004

the big thread

Nov 2003

say when.

[ssherwood]

wow. thanks.

A little overwhelmed, I guess that's the newbie factor kicking in. This site is outstanding.

[rabidscottsman]

SSherwood welcome to Egullet! You are going to have a lot of fun here! I myself plan on making a turducken someday.

I have always said when the Minnesota Vikings make it to the superbowl i will make a Turducken for everybody. But the way we played yesterday its not looking like this is going to be the year.

[culinary bear]

I was wondering what a turducken was; thought it sounded German!

Hugh Fearnly-Whittingstall made a 10-bird roast on TV the other day, and if I remember rightly, the birds were the following :

turkey

goose

duck

pheasant

chicken

guinea fowl

pigeon

partidge

woodcock

budgerigar

okay, I'm lying about the budgie but I forgot what the 10th one was.

[Bruce Burger]

I cooked a turducken on Christmas and it was a hit. I must admit that I mail-ordered it rather than debone and assemble the birds myself. I figured my energies were better devoted to the side dishes.

Perhaps my experience can help others who choose to mail-order. I found 7 websites offering turduckens, and all sound similar (a 14-16 lb. turducken with cornbread sausage stuffing for $110-140 including shipping). So I emailed each one asking why theirs was the best, and I've attached their replies below.

I ended up choosing Hebert's based on these replies. Then, after all that, they told me they were sold out (this was 2 weeks before Christmas). So I ordered from Tabasco, whose turduckens are supplied by Hebert's (who had set aside enough for them). Then they shipped it before they were supposed to, so it sat out spoiling while I was out of town. Fortunately, they readily agreed to ship another one at no charge. Despite the problems, the turducken was delicious; I can't imagine how it could have been better. I'll order from Hebert's (or Tabasco) again sometime.

As for the emails below ... Of course these are just claims, not an objective comparison. Better marketing doesn’t mean a better product. And the companies that didn’t respond by email might give great answers if you called them. Nonetheless, I found this a helpful starting point.

I don’t know whether it matters where the companies are located. The idea was born in Louisiana, but that doesn’t mean turduckens have to be made there, and anyway, the location of a company’s office isn’t necessarily where their turduckens are made, especially with a big company like Hickory Farms. But for the record, 3 of these companies are headquartered in Louisiana; I’ve indicated the headquaters state of the other 4 after their names.

cajungourmetfoods.com – No reply. Not surprising as it is almost impossible to find an email address or comment page on their website.

cajungrocer.com – “We can't say that our products are better than our competitors since we do not know what our competitors taste like. We focus only on our products. To say ours is better than the competition, then I would be lying. Our shipping is very attractive since we offer all levels. We ship with dry ice so that you package arrives in good condition. Select GROUND when checking out and specify that you want 3 DAY FedEX. We'll still charge you GROUND prices but will ship it 3 DAY air. Enjoy your order!” (Note: I specifically asked about shipping because their website, unlike all the others, allows you to order a turducken with ground shipping, which makes them the low-cost option.)

cajunspecialtymeats.com (FL) – “We feel our reputation (8 years of selling Turduckens to thousands of happy customers) of putting out quality products at reasonable prices, coupled with the fact that we are the producer and the retailer (unlike the many resellers that have popped up recently selling product from one mass producer who does not sell their product direct). It's hard to speak to their quality because we haven't tried their Turduckens. We would love to get the chance to earn your business and prove to you we have the best products available. Thank you for your interest in our products. We look forward to hearing from you soon.”

cajunstuff.com (TX) – No reply.

countrystore.tabasco.com – “I am sure there are plenty of good Turduckens out there. Our Turducken is produced by "Hebert's Specialty Meats". The Hebert team is made up of REAL Cajuns and use the finest products available. The timely combination of cooking and seasonings creates the authentic Cajun flavor, which until now, was found only in South Louisiana. The special Cajun Seasoning sprinkled over and into the entire product and vacuum sealed forces the seasoning into the product, enhancing flavors and freshness. I definitely think you will agree, that this Turducken will meet your expectations.”

hebertsmeats.com (OK) – “Our turduckens are different in that we make everything fresh at our location. Everything is homemade from the cornbread for the cornbread dressing to the grinding of the meats for the pork sausage. We also use our own blend of spices that just make it awesome. No one else uses our seasoning. You just have to taste it to believe.”.

hickoryfarms.com (OH) – “The reason that sets us apart from other companies is the preparation.”

Edited January 2, 2005 by Bruce Burger (log)

[Really Nice!]

I made this for thanksgiving in 2000 using Chef Paul Purdhomme's recipe, which includes cooking it at 190F. It took me about 3 hours to debone the three birds and prepare the three stuffings. I think it took about 12 hours to cook, but I'm not sure if I correctly recall that.

I do remember it being very greasy. I recommend removing the fat from the duck before assembling.

[Mayhaw Man]

The turduckens from Poche's in Breaux Bridge are good. They are packed well, show up on time, and the stuffing is great.

I had one of these over the holidays and it was really good. The stuffing was top notch and not greasy at all. While they are from Texas (as are Hebert's-due to USDA rules-it's complicated, don't ask), they are made by a couple of guys from Louisiana.