Have your Turkey, Duck, and Chicken and Eat it Too

When my mother and I went grocery shopping, she scoped out every fresh/frozen bird in the mart. I was a little antsy. With a Southern recipe in one hand and the family size serving of duck in the other, she meant ONLY business. Amanda Hesser was right to say in her Behind the Burner q & a that turducken is one of the most challenging meals she's ever prepared.

What is this strange word, you say? Exactly what it sounds like: turkey, duck and chicken. The first time I heard it I imagined the three birds discussing what combination would sound best, it sounds just right and it tastes like nothing you've ever ordered before. The duck is placed inside the chicken, the ducken is placed inside of the turkey, and there you have it, turducken with three different layers of stuffing in between.

A laborious preparation but the outcome -- magnifique! Having said this, if you have good help it is more than worth it to make it at home.

We bonded over what various ingredients to purchase for each stuffing. We had to clearly state our responsibilities -- it was such an onerous task. Our busy hands, testing of flavors and glasses of wine easily passed the time. But before you pull out the vino make sure you get the most important steps out of the way.

Each bird gets de-boned except for the turkey, the legs and wings remain intact and only the breastbone is removed. It is then sliced up the back and laid breast side down and flattened a bit, but not too much as you want to maintain the integrity of the turkey's shape when finished.

The stuffing's can be prepared in advance. The de-boned chicken is stuffed with a cornmeal dressing of onions, sausage, sage, and nuts. Duck is naturally fatty so you can leave out the sausage for a breadcrumb dressing with garlic, celery and some dried fruits. The turkey dressing is another mirepoix with poultry seasonings, prunes, bacon and nuts. Chicken broth and salt and pepper should be added, but not so much to make the dressing soggy.

We stacked the birds, layered the stuffing and I prayed for my mother's seamstress touch to complete the project gracefully. This is the hard part, if you don't have the right touch grab a small army or your doctor for their extra hands and expertise. The prettiest Turduckens resemble a giant pudgy turkey. Let's just say my mother's a pro.

Don't try to handle this like a regular turkey, it is extremely heavy and awkward and sprained backs are no fun for lounging around. Put the newly operated turkey in the oven at 225° F for 12-13 hours. Some people are intimated by low temperatures, but the range of meat that needs to be cooks is 3 times that of a normal turkey which usually takes 4 hours so that sums it all up!

The house smelled like we were cooking a feast fit for a king. That afternoon it wasn't my presents I was anxious to open. It was all that juicy and delectable -- Turducken. My mother did the honors, and like a slow motion clip from a film that should be named Culinary Masterpieces, the layers of meat and dressing stole the academy award. The juices of the bird, the combination of flavors and the overall presentation will signal you into a food coma for weeks. Take a week off work, make Turducken sandwiches and be thankful that when you cook the options are endless.

— Written by Molly McDonough

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