With Thanksgiving and Christmas, I will definitely be making one of those glorious bird-within-a-bird meals and to make it special… I have ordered a simply largest bird I can find! Looking at the Turkey above, it looks for all the world like a turkey that has been tied up a bit; however, with the exception of the legs and wings, there are no bones in this turkey. This is a Turducken!
Turduckens have been a yea old favorite for a long time. For hundreds of years meals of birds within birds have been served. The key for me is to de-bone them and remove all the skin but the outer turkey! The trick is to start assembling with the largest bird and add each bird until you get to the smallest while not forgetting to add the appropriate stuffing at each layer. Laura likes to refer to my effort as a fancy ‘meat roll’, but I think it is delicious every time! It also has a habit of attracting my daughters from wherever far flung environment they may be… which is nice.
Here’s the basic composition:
Turkey – corn bread
Goose – chestnut stuffing
Chicken – mushrooms and saffron white rice
Pheasant – cashew stuffing
Duck – wild rice
Besides a Turducken, I have a prime rib aging right now, a whole leg of lamb ( I have some Greek tenderizing ideas for this), hams and , of course, there will be dessert. Desserts are usually special in most families and so it is with us. Pumpkin pie is a staple and Christmas Cookies are varied… but we always find a time for George Washington’s Egg nog!
Stating thinking and planning, because August heat doesn’t last forever!
Roger