Traditional Louisiana Turducken Recipe 425

Steps:

• Have the birds deboned by your butcher to save yourself quite a bit of time, but if you're a particularly adventurous cook you can do it yourself. Professional Cutlery Direct provides step by step instructions for deboning poultry. Just be sure to keep the wings and legs on the turkey, that way the finished turducken will still look like a turkey. It's best to prepare each stuffing ahead of time so that they have time to cool before you are ready to assemble your turducken. A basic stuffing recipe is listed below, and it can easily be adapted for any flavor that you choose. Assembling the Turducken Begin by placing the turkey skin side down and seasoning it well with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Then spread the cornbread stuffing over the turkey. Next, place the duck on top of the cornbread stuffing and spread the Cajun rice dressing over it. You will then place the chicken on top of the Cajun rice dressing and add the shrimp stuffing. Each stuffing layer should be approximately 1/2 inch thick. Any leftover stuffing can be placed in casserole dishes and baked at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 30 minutes. Once you've stuffed each bird, fold the sides of the turkey together to close the bird. Enlist someone to help hold the turkey closed as you begin to sew up the opening. The stitches should be spaced about 1 inch apart. You finish sewing the Turducken tie the legs together, just above the tip bones. Be sure to place the Turducken breast side up while cooking. Once the turducken is assembled, place the turducken in a large roasting pan and cook in a 325 degrees Fahrenheit preheated oven. Alternatively, you can place the turducken on aluminum foil or in an aluminum pan, and then cook on a 350 degrees Fahrenheit grill or smoker. Regardless of which method you choose to use you should cook the bird until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest area on the bundle reaches an internal temperature reaches 180 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Fahrenheit is the minimum temperature for cooking poultry, but 180 degrees Fahrenheit will ensure that the turducken is fully cooked all the way through). The USDA recommends that a stuffed turkey of this size will generally take 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 hours to cook, but your best bet is to rely on the meat thermometer.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lay the boned chicken skin-side down on a platter and season liberally with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning. Lay the boned duck skin-side down on top of the chicken and season liberally with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning. Cover and refrigerate.
• Lay the boned turkey skin-side down on a flat surface. Cover with a layer of cold Sausage and Oyster Dressing and push the dressing into the leg and wing cavities so they will look as if they still have bones in them.
• Lay the duck on top of the turkey skin-side down and cover it with a layer of cold dressing. Lay the chicken on top of the duck skin-side down and cover it with a layer of cold dressing.
• With the help of an assistant, bring the edges of the turkey skin up and fasten them together with toothpicks. Use the kitchen string to lace around the toothpicks to help hold the stuffed turkey together. Carefully place the turducken, breast up in a large roasting pan.
• Roast covered for 4 hours or until the turducken is golden brown. Continue to roast uncovered for 1 hour or until a meat thermometer inserted through the thigh registers 180 degrees F. and a thermometer inserted through the stuffing registers 165 degrees F. Check the turducken every few hours to baste and remove excess liquid. There will be enough pan juices for a gallon of gravy. Carve and serve.

Steps:

• For pesto, place the sage, parsley, Parmesan cheese, garlic and salt in a food processor; cover and process until blended. While processing, gradually add oil in a steady stream; set aside., In a large skillet, saute fennel and onion in butter until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in salt and pepper. In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes, pears, hazelnuts, fennel mixture and 1/2 cup reserved pesto. In another bowl, whisk broth and egg substitute. Pour over bread mixture; stir until moistened. Cover and refrigerate until assembly., Place turkey skin side down on a work surface; press 5 cups stuffing mixture over turkey. Layer with duck skin side down and 4 cups stuffing. Top with chicken skin side down and remaining stuffing., Carefully pull turkey skin over filling. Truss turkey skin at 1-in. intervals with a large needle and kitchen string. Tuck wings under turkey; tie drumsticks together. Place breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Brush with oil., Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 5-1/4 to 5-3/4 hours or until a thermometer reads 180° in the center of turducken, basting occasionally with pan drippings. Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly. During the last 30 minutes of cooking, brush remaining pesto over turducken. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes before slicing.