A bird in a bird in a bird

[jenny_haddow]

Has any one tried this?

http://www.thesalmons.org/lynn/turducken.html

I was researching for a world cookery course when I came across a recipe from Ghana for a boned stuffed chicken. The author loosely suggested it may have been the inspiration for the above 'meat fest'.

I know HFW has done a similar multi bird stuffing recipe that looked delicious, it's an interesting procedure. However, I do think the link for a stuffed camel stretches credibility!

Cheers

Jen

[wittdog]

I have considered trying one of those...but my concern is cooking the poultry at 250*F for that extended amout of time.....I would worry about getting sick....

[saucisson]

I can't claim to have penned this but thought it amusing:

Birds stuffed with other birds is a wonderful thing to do, one of the main benefits being you can cram up to three times the amount of bird into only a slightly larger than normal host-bird.
HOWEVER. There are some words of caution when attempting this method.

Firstly, as one will probably guess, you're not going to be able to cram a swan into a pidgeon. All that will happen is you will make a mess and look like a weirdo. Think of it like those Russian dolls that fit into one another.

Secondly, different birds have different holding capacities for other birds. For example the largest bird may not always be able to hold as much inside it as some of the slightly smaller birds; so be sure to check prior to stuffing.

Thirdly, start small, bird-bird stuffing is an art, like all food, and takes some time to master. always start with little birds, for example a quail stuffed into a pidgeon. As you gain skill and confidence you can move larger and larger, the theory remains roughly the same.

Fourthly, be careful with cooking times. A Flamingo stuffed with 4 birds will takes less time to cook than an Ostrich stuffed with 10, and more time than a Swan stuffed with 3.
The best method is to slightly lower the cooking temperatures, but cook for longer, ensuring the host-bird is cooked through.

Finally, remember to baste EACH bird individually, otherwise the core-birds are at major risk of drying out a little too much.

Hope this answers your query, and happy cooking!

[vinner]

Hi, Again Jenny:

The Turduckens are all over the place here in Texas and epecially Louisiana (See Paul Prudhomme's recipe). They are a Cajun creation as far as I know, from deep south Louisiana. Inventive chefs will change the stuffings on each one (bread, sausage, oyster, wild rice, red beans, etc). As you can imagine, you can surprise your guests when first carving into at the table.

I have never made one from scratch, as every grocery store in Houston (national chains and local) sell a variety, already stuffed and frozen, and every brand I have cooked has been very moist. My fave is the qua-duc-ant, a quail, stuffed in a duck, stuffed in a pheasant. With any, you can cook thawed or frozen, and not have to worry too much about illness if you get it up to temperature.

Tim

Google "turducken" and Louisiana for much, much more.

[saucisson]

I like the idea of getting one pre-prepared, the thought of boning all three birds before you try and reassemble it back into something resembling a bird seems a Herculanean task. I did once try inserting an un-boned guinea fowl into an un-boned chicken to get a similar effect. Mind you cooking anything that starts with T**d just doesn't seem right at all

Dave

[jenny_haddow]

Perhaps 'Chiduckey' would have been better!

Vinner, the qua-duc-ant sounds more manageable and a very tasty option. I wonder if it will catch on over here. Makes you wonder what 'Bernard Matthews' would do to it. (That's a company that processes turkey with an 'interesting' variety over here).

Jen

[Josh]

I've had a 5 bird one but wasn't too impressed. The cooking time required to cook such a big lump through to the middle left the outside birds a bit overdone.

250f is all good for prolonged cooking, it's over 120c which will easily kill anything.

[Doctor]

I know this is an old post but i want to answer as i just found it.
I have done this Tur-duc-hen recipe.
It was a challenge to debone a turkey let alone a chicken and a duck.
What you end up with is a bag of meat.
It look me about 3 hours of prep time.
I served it and all my kids could say was " Your feeding us what?"
It tasted OK, nothing to write home about. I wouldn't go to the effort again.
Doctor

[pawclaws]

I confess I've done it! The first one I purchased frozen and found it to be a bit bland due to the stuffing used. Then I set out to develop my own technique which I present for you.

INGREDIENTS:

The Easy Way:
$35.00 to $100.00

The Hard Way:

3 Birds
1 turkey (approximately 25 pounds
1 duck (qpproximately 6 to 8 pounds
1 roasting chicken (about 4 pounds)

INSTRUCTIONS:

he Easy Way:

Select and order the bird completely prepared, frozen and ready for cooking. Purchase it, thaw it, and follow the enclosed directions for cooking and serving.

The Hard Way:
NOTE: This dish may take two days to prepare. Allow time for the birds to rest overnight in the refrigerator after preparation. Allow "fifteen hours cooking and cooling time" just prior to serving.

Purchase the birds fresh if possible. If purchased frozen assure that they are completely thawed before attempting to prepare them.

Remove the wings from the duck and chicken and set aside for use in another dish. Completely skin both of these birds being careful not to break the flesh. Both of these birds need to have "all" of the bones removed. Remove the fat layer of the duck with the skin. Turn the birds onto the chest and cut into the side of the backbone where the ribs join. Open the back and begin to de-bone by " pushing" the flesh away from the bone, rather than cutting. Use your fingers and back edge of the knife as much as possible reserving cutting for only the most difficult spots. Work around the inside of the bird laying the meat out more or less flat as you go. You should be able to remove the entire rib cage fairly well intact with patience and caution. Where the thigh bone joins cut into the meat from the inside to expose the bone then continue pushing the meat from the bone while pulling the bone into the carcass to more or less turn the leg meat inside out until the bone is completely removed. Work on one bird at a time keeping the remaining birds under refrigeration. Prepare the turkey in the same manner except; do not skin the turkey and do not remove the wings nor the leg bones. Disconnect the leg bones from the inside and remove all other bones. Work as quickly as possible to prevent the birds from warming and causing de-boning to become more difficult. Once the birds are de-boned. Lay out the hen, breast meat down and reassemble the meat placing one side over the other. Stuffing may be added into the chicken at this point if desired.Season the chicken as desired. Next lay the duck over the chicken, breast meat up and tuck the back bone meat underneath the chicken. Season the duck as desired. Place these birds into the cavity of the turkey wrapping the back bone flaps of the turkey meat unerneathd covering completely and overlapping. Place the meat on a raised roasting rack in a shallow roaster. Reshape the turkey until it resembles the original. This is fairly easy since the legs and wings have remained intact. Additional stuffing may be added to the turkey cavities which will assist with reshaping as well. Season the turkey as desired. The legs may be tied together with butcher's twine or skewered to help hold in the stuffing while roasting.
Cover the pan and allow the dish to
rest overnight in the refrigerator. The next day allow fifteen hours cooking and cooling time just prior to serving. Cook in a covered roaster in a 200 degree oven for approximately 11 to 14 hours. (Baste hourly with pan juices and test the temperature with a meat thermometer.) After 10 hours. remove the cover to allow the turkey to brown. The turkey skin may be basted with the pan juices, melted butter, or olive oil to help retain moisture and enhance browning. Remove any excess pan drippings so that the meat is not sitting in it's own juices. Save these for gravy. Continue cooking uncovered until the skin is mahogany brown and a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the meat reads 165 - 170 degrees. a half)

The finished product should be allowed to cool for at least half an hour before serving. Divide the dish in half lengthwise. If the meat sticks or tends to crumble continue to cool. Serve in slices cut across the bird for the most attractive serving slices. Each slice should contain a bit of each bird and the stuffing. This dish provides approximately 15 pounds of delicious lean meat and will serve 20 or more guests.

Use your favorite stuffing to fill the cavities and I think you will be pleased with the dish. Since you are cooking at such low temperature it is imperative that the meat be cooked long enough to raise the temperature above 160 degrees which must be verified with a thermometer for safety.



This one I prepared in a 14 inch cast iron skillet covering with aluminum foil.

[vinner]

Great work, Phillip. "Work" being the operative word here.

[pawclaws]

http://ohiocampcooks.proboards19.com/in ... 625&page=6

Take a peek at this thread and read "The Pregnant Turkey Story" I warn you though do not take food or beverege to the screen!

[vinner]

Too dang funny. I know just the sister-in-law to try that on this year.