Serving Size : 20 Preparation Time :2 days
Categories :" Main Meal" Cuisine: "American Style"
1 20-25 lb whole turkey
1 4-5 lb whole duckling
1 3-4 lb whole chicken
sage & onions stuffing
sausage stuffing
large roasting pan and rack
cotton string and cheesecloth
Seasoning Mix
3 tablespoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons paprika
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 1/2 tablespoons pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (optional)
Sausage Stuffing
3 cups onions -- chopped
1 1/2 cups celery -- chopped
2 pounds sausage (preferably Italian)
3 tablespoons paprika
3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 cups toasted breadcrumbs
4 ounces butter
3 cups chicken stock
Sage & Onion Stuffing
1 loaf medium sliced white bread
2 large onions -- chopped
4 stalks celery, including leaves -- chopped
giblets and neck of turkey
1/2 litre chicken stock
1/2 litre water
1/8 pound butter
5 1/2 tablespoons corn starch
oil
generous amount of sage
salt & pepper
Place the cleaned turkey, breast side down, on a flat surface. Cut through the skin along the length of the spine. Using the tip of a knife and starting from neck end, gently separate meat from rib cage on one side. Toward neck end, cut through meat to expose shoulder blade; cut meat away from and around the bone, severing bone at the joint to remove shoulder blade.
Disjoint wing between second and third joints. Leave the wing bones and keep the wing attached to the meat. Continue separating meat from frame, heading toward the thighbone and being careful to keep the "oyster" (pocket of meat on back) attached to skin, rather than leaving with bone.
Cut through ball-and-socket joint to release thighbone from carcass (bird will be open on one side, exposing bones left to deal with). Keep the leg attached to the meat. Repeat boning procedure on the other side of the bird. Carefully remove carcass and reserve for making stock. You should end up with a flat boneless (except for wings and legs) turkey with the skin intact in one large piece. Cover the boned turkey and set aside (or chill).
Repeat the process on the duckling and chicken, but cut off the first two joints of wings, and debone both stumps of wings and leg drumsticks (cut through flesh at thinnest point and trim around these bones with a knife until they can be removed). Trim excess skin and fat from necks of birds. If it is your first time deboning a fowl, it is advisable to practice first on the chicken rather than the turkey
Both the chicken and duck will be stuffed inside the turkey and need not be kept "perfectly" intact.
Make stock from the chicken carcass.
Prepare Sausage Stuffing:
Melt the butter in a large skillet over a high heat. Add the onions and celery, sauté until onions are browned but not burnt, about 10-12 minutes.
Add sausage to the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes or until the meat is browned, stirring frequently.
Add paprika and garlic and cook for about 3 minutes over a medium heat, stirring occasionally. Stir in stock and bring to the simmer.
Continue cooking until the water evaporates and oil rises to the top, about 10 minutes. Stir in breadcrumbs adding extra if mixture is too moist.
Lay the slices of bread out evenly and bake in a very low oven (about 200F) until they are thoroughly dried.
Break apart in rough but evenly sized chunks, put into a large mixing bowl, season with sage to taste with a little salt and set aside.
Fry the giblets and neck in a large stock pan with the onion until tender.
Cover with the chicken stock and water. Add the celery, some salt pepper and sage and bring to the boil.
Reduce to medium heat and allow to cook for about an hour and a half.
Remove your stock from the heat and pour through a colander. Return the broth to the pan and set aside.
Mash the liver with a fork and add to your stuffing mix. Remove any meat from the neck (careful of bones) and add to the stuffing mix.
Take about a 3/4 cup of the stewed onion and celery to your taste and add to the mix.
Ladle small amounts of stock over the bread, blending well but not over beating, until the stuffing is moistened but not too wet (remember it will be picking moisture up from the bird). This is just something you have to do by eye.
Set aside remaining stock for gravy later.
At least 13-14 hours before dinner assemble the Turducken.
Spread the turkey, skin down, on flat surface, exposing as much meat as possible.
Rub 3 tablespoons of seasoning mix evenly on meat.
Spread sausage stuffing over the turkey in an even layer approximately 3/4 inch thick.
Place duck, skin down, on top of stuffing.
Season exposed duck meat with about 1 tbsp. of seasoning mix.
Spread Sage and Onion stuffing in an even layer (about 1/2 inch thick) over the duck
Season chicken meat with seasoning mix.
Spread remainder of sausage and/or corn bread stuffing on top of chicken. With another person's help, carefully lift the sides of the layered birds, folding the sides of the turkey together.
Have a helper hold the bird while sewing the opening down the back of the turkey together using cotton thread and a large upholstery needle.
The bird may not close perfectly, and a strip of cheese cloth can be used to help close the "crack" in the back of the turkey so stuffing will not leak out when the bird is turned over
Since the turducken has no skeleton, it must be trussed up or it may fall apart in cooking.
Tie cotton string around the bird, widthwise, every inch or so along the bird's length.
Turn the bird over and place in a roasting rack inside a large roasting pan so it is oriented breast side up.
Tie the legs together just above the tip bones.
At this point your Turducken should be looking about like a regular turkey.
Heat oven to exactly 190 degrees F. Temperature control is critical since the Turducken is so massive that it has to be cooked very slowly at a low temperature. Using an oven thermometer is highly recommended.
Place the bird in the center of the oven and bake until a meat thermometer inserted through to center reads 165 degrees, about 12 to 13 hours.
There will be no need to baste, but accumulated drippings will have to be removed from the pan every few hours so that the lower portion does not deep fry in the hot oil.
Remove the Turducken from the oven and let cool in the pan for an hour before serving.
Make gravy according to your favorite recipe.
To serve cut bird in half lengthwise. Carve crosswise so each slice reveals all 3 meats and dressings.
Will make 15 to 25 servings.
Description:
"The Turducken will need to cook for 12 or 13 hours at 190 degrees F so begin preparation well in advance."
