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Turducken
Before starting, you will need cotton
thread, a darning needle, cotton butcher's
string, cheesecloth and a meat thermometer.
Considering the cooking time, it is
best to remove the bones and make
the stuffing and stock a day ahead.
For food safety reasons, do not stuff
the birds ahead of time. To have the
Turducken finished for dinner, you
will have to put it in the oven around
4 a.m. Make sure your oven temperature
is accurate before starting. Otherwise,
cooking time could vary drastically
because of the low temperature. If
working with a smaller Turkey, your
cooking time will not be as long.
Ingredients:
20 to 25 lb. (9 to 11 kg) fresh turkey
4 to 5 lb. (2 to 21/4 kg) duck
3 to 4 lb. (1 1/2 to 2 kg) chicken
4 carrots, quartered
4 stalks celery, quartered
2 leeks, white part only, chopped,
washed
2 onions, quartered
4 cloves garlic, halved
Stuffing:
2 lb. (1 kg) Ground Pork
6 onions, chopped
7 stalks celery, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs. dried thyme
2 tsp fennel seeds
10 cups cubed white bread, crusts
removed (about 2 small loaves)
1/2 cup walnuts
½ cup of currants or raisons
Stuffing number 2:
3 stalks of celery
2 onions
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup of dried figs
2 cloves of garlic
½ tbs. dried thyme
½ tsp. Dried sage
5 cups white bread crusts removed
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup of goat cheese
Seasoning blend:
2 tbs. each: salt, sage
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs. each: freshly ground black
pepper, dried thyme, rosemary
Gravy:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups Turducken stock or chicken
stock
1/2 tsp each: salt, freshly ground
black pepper
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Directions:
On large, clean cutting board, place
turkey with neck away from you, breast
side down. Using sharp boning knife,
trim any excess skin. Cut through
skin along length of one side of spine.
Using knife tip, separate meat from
rib cage the length of turkey. Starting
at neck cut through meat to expose
shoulder blade. Cut meat away from
and around the bone, severing bone
at joint to remove shoulder blade.
Cut wing tips off between second and
third joints. Continue separating
meat from back, working toward parson's
nose. Keeping knife flush with frame,
be sure to keep oyster (pocket of
meat near center of back) attached
to skin rather than leaving it with
bone. Cut meat away from and around
thigh bone. Cut through joint to remove
thighbone, leaving drumstick bone
attached. Remove as many tendons as
possible. Take breast off bone until
you are at tip of breastbone. Repeat
on other side of turkey.
Lift up bones, cutting off remnants
of flesh. Take care not to puncture
breast. You will end up with a flat,
boneless (except for wings and legs)
turkey with the skin intact in one
large piece. Cover and refrigerate.
Reserve bones for stock. Remove the
bones from the duck in same way, but
remove the bones from wings and legs
also. Cut through skin at tip of drumstick
bone and scrape down bone, separating
meat as you go. At the base, work
from inside duck and remove bone,
keeping skin intact. Repeat with remaining
leg. Cut off first two joints of the
wings. Slip out each wing bone in
exactly the same way as the leg bones.
Cover and refrigerate. Reserve bones
for stock.
Repeat boning procedure on chicken.
Cover and refrigerate. Reserve bones
for stock.
For stock, put reserved bones in
stockpot with carrots, celery, leeks,
onions, garlic, peppercorns, parsley,
thyme and bay leaves. Cover with cold
water. Bring to boil, reduce heat
and simmer 2 to 3 hours, skimming
off froth as necessary. Strain through
fine mesh sieve. Discard solids or
reserve meat and vegetables for soup.
Return stock to pot and boil until
reduced to 4 cups.
Cook ground pork, breaking up with
spoon over medium-high heat 5 minutes
or until browned. Add onions, celery,
garlic, thyme, sage, and fennel seeds.
Reduce heat to medium and cook, covered,
12 minutes, until vegetables are softened.
Stir in bread, walnuts and currants.
Prepare second stuffing same as the
first use the figs and cranberries
as the "meat" to sauté.
Add stock at end to desired consistency.
Fold cheese in at the end.
For seasoning mix, in small bowl,
combine salt, garlic, pepper, and
thyme. Place turkey skin side down
on clean large work surface. Rub 4
tablespoons seasoning mix evenly on
meat. Spread 5 cups stuffing in even
layer to cover turkey.
Place duck, skin side down, centered
on turkey. Rub 2-tablespoon seasoning
evenly on meat. Spread 3 cups stuffing
in even layer to cover duck.
Place chicken, skin side down, centered
on duck. Rub 2 tablespoons seasoning
evenly on meat. Cover evenly with
remaining stuffing.
Put hands under turkey and fold sides
together. Using cotton thread and
darning needle, sew up back of turkey.
If there is a gap where sides don't
meet, cover with strip of cheesecloth
before sewing.
Starting under legs, truss turkey
with cotton string at 1 -inch intervals
the length of the bird, down to parson's
nose.
Turn turkey over and place, back
side down, on rack in large roasting
pan. Tie legs together.
Roast in center of preheated 200F
oven for 13 to 15 hours, until meat
thermometer inserted in middle through
to center reads 165F. Remove drippings
from pan every few hours. Be sure
to check often.
Transfer to large platter and tent
with foil. Let sit I hour.
For gravy, drain all but 2 tablespoons
fat from roasting pan. Heat pan over
medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring,
30 seconds. Whisk in stock. Bring
to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring
to scrape up brown bits from bottom
of pan, 8 minutes or until thickened
slightly. Add salt and pepper.
To serve, remove string and cut bird
in half lengthwise. Slice each half
crosswise into 3/4 inch thick slices.
Serve with gravy.
Makes 15 to 25 servings.
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