How Long do you cook your turkducken?!
This is my first year any tips on how to cook it and how long and is brining necessaryWww@FoodAQ@Com
Answers:
"Tur-duc-kens" - What the heck is that!? Well it is a 15-16 pound de-boned turkey (except for wing bones and drumsticks), a fully hand de-boned duck, and a fully hand de-boned chicken, all rolled into one and stuffed with lots of delicious stuffing (Three kinds of stuffing are layered between the three kinds of meat)!. This regional delight has become one of the latest food fads!. From the outside it looks like a turkey, but when you cut through it, you see a series of rings making up the three birds and stuffing!.
Louisiana chef Paul Prudhomme says he is the one that developed the recipe for turducken, but other debate his claim!. One possible origin dates back a bit and says the turducken is somewhat derived from the galantine, an 18th century French blend of a de-boned bird stuffed with a mixture of finely ground veal, poultry, fish, vegetables, or fruit with bread crumbs and seasonings!. Since Cajuns originated from French Canada, it could be assumed that the recipe came with them and morphed into today's version!.
The November 2005 issue of National Geographic magazine traced the origins of the dish in the United States to Maurice, Louisiana, and "Hebert's Specialty Meats" Herbert's has been making turduckens since 1985 when they claim a local farmer (whose name that has since been forgotten) brought in a turkey, a duck, and a chicken, and asked Hebert's to follow his directions in preparing them!. Herbert's now sells around 3,300 turduckens a year!. They share a friendly rivalry with famous Cajun chef Paul Prudhomme who claims to have been the first to serve turducken!.
How to Cook a Turducken
Purchasing a frozen turducken: If the turducken has been purchased through mail order, make sure it arrives frozen with a cold source in an insulated carton!. Transfer it immediately to the freezer!. If the turducken arrives warm, notify the company!. Do not use the product!.
Thawing a frozen turducken: If you turducken is frozen, allow it to thaw 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator!. It takes a full 24 hours to defrost every five pounds of frozen turkey in the refrigerator (the only safe method)!. A 20-pound turducken needs to defrost for a full 4 days!. Be sure the turkey is completely thawed!. Times are based on fresh or completely thawed frozen birds at a refrigerator temperature of about 40? F or below!.
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For a quick thaw, place in cool water for 6 to 9 hours!. If your turducken is partially frozen, you may need to cook it an additional 30 to 45 minutes!.
Oven temperature: Preheat oven to 225 degrees F!. Temperature control is critical since the turducken is so massive that it has to be cooked slowly at a low temperature to prevent burning the outside of the turducken before the interior is cooked!. Use an oven thermometer to obtain the correct oven temperature!. Calibration of the oven's thermostat may be inaccurate!.
*
Place the oven rack in the center position of your oven!.
Roasting pan: When ready to bake, take the turducken completely out of the packaging and place turducken, breast-side up, on a flat wire rack in a large shallow roasting pan 2 to 2 1/2 inches deep!. Tuck wing tips back under shoulders of bird!. NOTE: Dark roasting pans cook faster than shiny metals!.
Baking the turducken: Your turducken will take approximately 8 to 9 hours to bake:
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Bake the turducken for 4 hours uncovered!.
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At the 4 hour mark, Brush the skin with oil and then cover the turducken with aluminum foil!. Cook an additional 4 to 5 hours until the interior temperature read 165 degrees F!. on your meat thermometer!. NOTE: Use a food thermometer to ensure that all layers of the turducken and stuffing reach a minimum safe internal temperature of 165 ?F!. The thermometer should be placed at the center of the thickest part of the turducken to determine the safe internal temperature!. Please rely on internal temperature with a meat thermometer and not time cooked for doneness!. After each use, wash the stem section of the thermometer thoroughly in hot, soapy water!.
This year, the USDA has come up with a one-temperature-suits-all for poultry safety: 165? F!. For safety and doneness, the internal temperature should be checked with a meat thermometer!. Several types of thermometers are available on the market: regular, oven-proof; instant read and digital; pop-up timers; and microwave-safe thermometers!.
*
There will be no need to base, but accumulated drippings in the bottome of the roasting pan may need to be removed from the pan every few house!. Save the pan drippings for your gravy!.
*
Remove the turducken from the oven!.
Rest Time: Once you remove the turkey from the oven, tent it with aluminum foil and allow it to rest for 1 hour, so the meat can firm up and hold the juices, making it easier to carve!.
Gravy: Make gravy according to your favorite recipe!. Check out MaWww@FoodAQ@Com
Louisiana chef Paul Prudhomme says he is the one that developed the recipe for turducken, but other debate his claim!. One possible origin dates back a bit and says the turducken is somewhat derived from the galantine, an 18th century French blend of a de-boned bird stuffed with a mixture of finely ground veal, poultry, fish, vegetables, or fruit with bread crumbs and seasonings!. Since Cajuns originated from French Canada, it could be assumed that the recipe came with them and morphed into today's version!.
The November 2005 issue of National Geographic magazine traced the origins of the dish in the United States to Maurice, Louisiana, and "Hebert's Specialty Meats" Herbert's has been making turduckens since 1985 when they claim a local farmer (whose name that has since been forgotten) brought in a turkey, a duck, and a chicken, and asked Hebert's to follow his directions in preparing them!. Herbert's now sells around 3,300 turduckens a year!. They share a friendly rivalry with famous Cajun chef Paul Prudhomme who claims to have been the first to serve turducken!.
How to Cook a Turducken
Purchasing a frozen turducken: If the turducken has been purchased through mail order, make sure it arrives frozen with a cold source in an insulated carton!. Transfer it immediately to the freezer!. If the turducken arrives warm, notify the company!. Do not use the product!.
Thawing a frozen turducken: If you turducken is frozen, allow it to thaw 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator!. It takes a full 24 hours to defrost every five pounds of frozen turkey in the refrigerator (the only safe method)!. A 20-pound turducken needs to defrost for a full 4 days!. Be sure the turkey is completely thawed!. Times are based on fresh or completely thawed frozen birds at a refrigerator temperature of about 40? F or below!.
*
For a quick thaw, place in cool water for 6 to 9 hours!. If your turducken is partially frozen, you may need to cook it an additional 30 to 45 minutes!.
Oven temperature: Preheat oven to 225 degrees F!. Temperature control is critical since the turducken is so massive that it has to be cooked slowly at a low temperature to prevent burning the outside of the turducken before the interior is cooked!. Use an oven thermometer to obtain the correct oven temperature!. Calibration of the oven's thermostat may be inaccurate!.
*
Place the oven rack in the center position of your oven!.
Roasting pan: When ready to bake, take the turducken completely out of the packaging and place turducken, breast-side up, on a flat wire rack in a large shallow roasting pan 2 to 2 1/2 inches deep!. Tuck wing tips back under shoulders of bird!. NOTE: Dark roasting pans cook faster than shiny metals!.
Baking the turducken: Your turducken will take approximately 8 to 9 hours to bake:
*
Bake the turducken for 4 hours uncovered!.
*
At the 4 hour mark, Brush the skin with oil and then cover the turducken with aluminum foil!. Cook an additional 4 to 5 hours until the interior temperature read 165 degrees F!. on your meat thermometer!. NOTE: Use a food thermometer to ensure that all layers of the turducken and stuffing reach a minimum safe internal temperature of 165 ?F!. The thermometer should be placed at the center of the thickest part of the turducken to determine the safe internal temperature!. Please rely on internal temperature with a meat thermometer and not time cooked for doneness!. After each use, wash the stem section of the thermometer thoroughly in hot, soapy water!.
This year, the USDA has come up with a one-temperature-suits-all for poultry safety: 165? F!. For safety and doneness, the internal temperature should be checked with a meat thermometer!. Several types of thermometers are available on the market: regular, oven-proof; instant read and digital; pop-up timers; and microwave-safe thermometers!.
*
There will be no need to base, but accumulated drippings in the bottome of the roasting pan may need to be removed from the pan every few house!. Save the pan drippings for your gravy!.
*
Remove the turducken from the oven!.
Rest Time: Once you remove the turkey from the oven, tent it with aluminum foil and allow it to rest for 1 hour, so the meat can firm up and hold the juices, making it easier to carve!.
Gravy: Make gravy according to your favorite recipe!. Check out MaWww@FoodAQ@Com
Brine!? Good gosh, you don't friggin' brine a fowl! You roast it to an internal temperature of 170 degrees F and it'll be perfectly ready to serve!. Www@FoodAQ@Com