Make it a Turducken Thanksgiving
Posted by by Michael Selby, executive chef
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
For those of us unfamiliar with the term “Turducken,” an explanation is in order. It’s a boneless turkey stuffed with a boneless chicken stuffed with a moist bread stuffing that gently cradles a duck breast. It’s basically a poultry rainbow in the middle of your table.
Turduckens available at Lunds and Byerly’s are completely assembled, seasoned and oven ready which makes them unbelievably easy to prepare. (Actually, they’re even easier to prepare than your typical turkey!) There are two varieties (unique for their stuffing) to choose from: one is stuffed with spicy Italian sausage stuffing and the other features a chicken apple sausage stuffing.
Making perfect culinary sense, the outside of the turkey is subjected to direct heat which gives the outside a nice caramel color and causes the juices to drip inward. Next is the chicken that benefits from indirect heat which keeps it from drying out and again forcing the natural juices inward. Then you have the stuffing. For those of us who prefer stuffed stuffing over the pan stuffing method, this bird is especially for you. The most common complaints about stuffing are either “too dry” or “too bland.”
With Turducken not only do you have double the natural juices and complete protection from direct heat inward but you also have the rich flavor of the duck breast in the center cooking outward. Make no mistake, this is not a quirky novelty item. It’s an extremely high quality, easy to prepare, symphony of flavor that has found a way to be both “gourmet” and “home style comfort” at the same time. Consider the Turducken as a great alternative this year. You won’t be disappointed!
We have limited supplies, so please call your favorite Lunds or Byerly’s store to order your Turducken today!
So what are you planning to serve this Thanksgiving?