How to Cook..... A Turducken

 The Perfectly Cooked Turducken

What is a Turducken?
A Turducken is a deboned chicken stuffed in a deboned duck, which is then stuffed in a deboned turkey. It certainly does sound a little like Frankenstein or something Heston Blumenthal would put together, but its origins actually date back centuries ago with the Ancient Romans.

These days Turduckens are very popular to serve during Thanksgiving in the US however, their popularity has now spread worldwide with many courageous Aussie foodies giving it a go. We even heard a segment on 2GB dedicated to Turduckens!

Us 2 Little Piggies decided to give it a go as our Christmas dinner centre piece. Instead of deboning the birds and sewing the beast together ourselves, we decided to slightly cheat and purchase the bird already assembled.

Where to buy a Prepared Turducken?
Prime Quality Meats
Shop 10, 79 - 113 Sailors Bay Road,
Northbridge, NSW, 2063
Ph. (02) 9958 2186
Please order ahead of time. These are prepared to order.

How much is a Prepared Turducken?
We paid around $180 for close to 10 kilos. This amount of meat would feed close to 20 people as part of a large Christmas dinner.


How to Cook a Turducken?

Ingredients:
1 Large Assembled Turducken (7-10kgs)
3 Tblspn Dried Onion Flakes
2 Tblsns Dried Garlic Flakes
2 Tblspns Salt
1 Tblspn Cracked Pepper
2 Tblspns Paprika
1 Tspn Cayenne Pepper

Equipment:
Large Oven
Large Roasting Tray
Large Wire Roasting Rack
Meat Thermometer
Aluminium Foil
2 Litre Saucepan
Grinder / Coffee Mill
Whisk
Sieve

Gravy:
Turducken drippings
500ml Chicken Stock
250ml Red Wine
1/3 Cup Plain Flour
1 1/2 Tblspns Dried Italian Herbs
Salt & Pepper 

Method:
Preheat the oven to 110 Degrees Celsius for a marathon cooking time of 8 hours. Meanwhile, place the fresh or thawed (not frozen) Turducken back side down on the large wire rack inside a large roasting tray. Using a paper towel, pat dry the skin of the Turducken.

In a spice grinder / coffee mill, combine onion and garlic flakes, salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne pepper. If all of the ingredients do not fit at once, grind in several equal portions. Grind for 20 - 30 seconds on a medium to high speed. Rub the spice mixture on to the breast side of the Turducken. Place the Turducken in the centre of the oven. Bake for 4 hours at 110 Degrees Celsius.

 The Seasoned Turducken

After 4 hours, baste the Turducken with the cooking juices from the bottom of the tray. Then cover the Turducken with Aluminium foil. Cook for another 4 hours and repeat basting the Turducken every hour.

 Basting the Turducken

At the 8 hour mark, check that the internal temperature of the Turducken has reached 75 Degrees Celsius. Using a food thermometer, insert it into the centre of the thickest part of the Turducken. If the internal temperature has not reached 75 Degrees Celsius, return the Turducken to the oven for another hour and then repeat the internal temperature check.

Ta Daa - The Final Product

When the desired temperature of the Turducken has been reached, remove and rest the Turducken for 1 hour before carving.

Carving the Turducken

Gravy:
Whilst the Turducken is resting, prepare the gravy. Place the roasting tray over medium heat, add stock & red wine. Whisk to remove the dried stock along the sides and the bottom of the tray. Cook for 5 minutes to reduce.

Transfer liquid into a 2 Litre saucepan and let it sit for 5 minutes. Discard the fat by skimming the oil from the stock and wine mixture. Add the sifted flour and mixed dried herbs and whisk to combine. Turn stove on medium / high heat and cook gravy mixture stirring continuously until the mixture becomes
smooth. Season with salt & pepper.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve with roast new potatoes with fresh rosemary. Roasted vegetables are a perfect accompaniment to this meal. Don't forget the gravy!