Chef's Table

Turducken

This dish teaches you how to debone a turkey, duck and chicken, making three different stuffings, and layering them together to create a turducken.

CourseDuck, Entrée | Main, Family Style, Fowl, Main Dish
CuisineAmerican, Beer Cuisine, Comfort, Thanksgiving Feast
SeasonalFall Seasonal
Food SectionChicken, Duck, Game, Poultry | Fowl, Turkey, Wild Game
Cooking MethodRoasting
BreweryBeer Advocate

Servings	Prep Time
16guests	2hour

Cook Time

10hour

Servings	Prep Time
16guests	2hour

Cook Time

10hour

Ingredients

Turducken Ingredients:

1each turkey, whole about 18–22 pounds
3/4cup butter, unsaltedat room temperature
1recipe Pork and Caramelized Leek Stuffing Click here for recipe
1each duck, whole about 5 pounds
1recipe Purple Rice and Dried Cherry Stuffing Click here for recipe
1each pheasant, whole about 3 pounds
1recipe Ciabatta Stuffing with Mixed Herbs and ESB Click here for recipe

Additional Needs:

Instructions

Begin this recipe by preparing all three stuffing recipes separately. Make sure they are all cool, then wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate till ready to use.
Pork and Caramelized Leek Stuffing
Purple Rice and Dried Cherry Stuffing
Ciabatta Stuffing with Mixed Herbs and ESB
Next, debone the turkey, duck and pheasant following the Anatomy of a Bird directions. Once complete, the stuffing of the turducken can begin.
Start with the turkey skin-side down and arranged so that the breast meat is on top and the thigh meat is closest to you. Season the meat with salt and pepper, dotting the entire surface with 1/4 cup of butter.
Cover the turkey with a 1-inch thick layer of the pork and caramelized leek stuffing, leaving a half-inch border at the edge of the meat. Next, lay the deboned duck atop the stuffing, in the same orientation as the turkey.
Season with salt and pepper, dotting the surface with 1/4 cup of butter. Top the duck with a 1-inch layer of purple rice stuffing, again leaving a half-inch border around the meat.
Finally, place the pheasant centered on the duck and turkey. Season as before and dot with remaining butter. Add a layer of ciabatta stuffing, again leaving a border.
Next, along the spine cut of the turkey, place metal or wooden toothpick-size skewers every inch or so, piercing each side of the meat, about one inch from the cut. This is where a second set of hands will become very handy! Slide one hand under the left and the other hand under the right side of the turkey, bringing the turkey back together. The second person can help curl the meat together, keeping each layer from falling apart.
Now, using a long piece of kitchen twine, weave between the skewers like shoelaces, pulling the skin together and sealing the bird.
Tie it off to secure the bird closed.
Carefully roll the turducken onto its back. Using both sets of hands, carefully place the stuffed turkey onto a roasting rack in a roasting pan. Mold the stuffed turkey to look as much like a regular turkey as possible by folding the wings underneath the breasts and crossing the legs. Rub the skin with butter and season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle any leftover herbs from the stuffings.
Preheat the oven to 225°F | 107°C. Place the turducken in the center of the oven on convention roast (if available). Insert a thermometer probe into the very center of the stuffing. Plug into a thermometer/timer and set the temperature to 165°F | 74°C. The turducken will cook between 8 to 10 hours depending on how accurate the oven is and the combined size of the birds. Remove from the oven and let rest for 30 – 45 minutes before serving. Cover with aluminum foil as it rests to keep warm. Save drippings to make a roux for a gravy base.
To carve, since all the bones have been removed, cut across the breasts, as you would a roast. Serve a slice to each guest.