[Sca-cooks] Turducken Time Again

[David Walddon]

Try this recipe if for a simpler at home version.
I make it often as my partner is a fiend for turducken.

The recipe and commentary is from "The Vast Repast".

Eduardo

The Turducken is legendary among gourmands searching for the next  
amazing meal to serve to their friends and family.  The famous  
Louisianan Chef Paul Prudhomme brought the Turducken to public notice  
and growing fame.  His multi-page, multi-day recipe can be found on  
his web site at http://www.chefpaul.com/turducken.html.  Chef  
Prudhomme might have popularized the Turducken, but the concept  
stretches back to the middle ages where illusion food (something that  
looked like one thing, but was actually another) was a delight that  
the best chefs would prepare for the entertainment of the court,  
showing off their skills.  Birds stuffed within birds was a popular  
illusion food.  You can go all out and try Chef Paul’s recipe or  
order a Turducken from many butchers and meat suppliers on-line or  
through catalogs.  They come fresh or frozen right to your door.  Or  
try this scaled down version I have created for you.  It won’t take  
nearly as long to prepare and is very tasty! This recipe makes two  
Turducken Rolls.  Each serves two.



Turducken Roll

1 stalk of celery and leaves, diced                        1 sprig  
rosemary, de-stemmed and chopped
3 small leeks or one large  , diced                        2 de-boned  
chicken thighs

1 tablespoon olive oil                                                 
5 sage leaves, chopped

1 tablespoon butter                                                 
1/4 pound sausage meat

2 turkey breast cutlets (approx. 1 1/2 lbs.)            1/4 teaspoon  
poultry seasoning

2 handfuls of spinach leaves                                    4  
tablespoons butter, softened

2 duck breasts (approx. 6 oz. each)



Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees.



Soften the celery and leeks in olive oil and butter until golden.   
Between sheets of wax paper pound each of the turkey breasts flat.   
This will be your outer layer so make sure you pound gently.  No  
holes in the meat.  Lay the spinach evenly over the flattened  
breasts.  Roll the duck breasts in the chopped rosemary.  In the  
center of the spinach and turkey place the duck.  Cover each duck  
breast evenly with the celery and leeks.  Rub the sage over each  
chicken thigh and place one over each of the leeks and celery.  Mix  
the poultry seasoning with the sausage.  Divide in half and spread it  
over the chicken thigh.  Carefully roll the edges of the turkey  
breast up and around all the stuffing.  Use wooden skewers to secure  
the sides and ends of the rolls.  Slather the rolls with softened  
butter.



Place the Turducken Rolls in a roasting pan and place in the hot  
oven.  Immediately turn the oven down to 400 degrees.  In ten minutes  
turn the oven down to 350 degrees.  Cook the rolls for another 40  
minutes or until the internal temperature is above 170 degrees.



To  serve a sauce with the Turducken Roll deglaze your roasting pan  
with some white wine, add a bit of butter and thicken with a slurry  
of cornstarch or flour.



________________________________________________________

Food is life. May the plenty that graces your table truly be a VAST  
REPAST.

David Walddon
david at vastrepast.com
www.vastrepast.com
web.mac.com/dwalddon


On Nov 5, 2008, at 1:24 PM, Johnna Holloway wrote:

> It's that time again -- Turducken makes a reappearance
> in the newspaper food columns.
> http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008811050386
>
> An associated article http://www.freep.com/article/20081105/ 
> FEATURES02/811050387/1027
> recommends buying them here:
>
> www.samsclub.com <http://www.samsclub.com>: Sells the Tony  
> Chachere's brand online only. A 12-pound turducken with Creole  
> cornbread and pork rice dressing is $48.37.
>
> www.cajungrocer.com <http://www.cajungrocer.com>: A 15-pound  
> turducken with Creole pork sausage and cornbread stuffing is $64.95.
>
> www.tonychacheres.com <http://www.tonychacheres.com>: A 15-pound  
> turducken that will feed about 20 people is about $70. It's stuffed  
> with cornbread stuffing and pork rice dressing.
>
> www.herbertsmeats.com <http://www.herbertsmeats.com>: An 8- to 10- 
> pound turducken with cornbread dressing and pork sausage stuffing  
> is $62.95.
>
> Thanksgiving is just three weeks from tomorrow.
>
> Johnnae
> _______________________________________________
> Sca-cooks mailing list
> Sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org
> http://lists.ansteorra.org/listinfo.cgi/sca-cooks-ansteorra.org