Turducken . . . Argh! OP here #34 . . . UPDATE Pg.4 #56

[jpcher]

ok , have to ask again - does your dd just like the idea of a "different" t-giving meal because that's what she likes, or does she want the turducken? reason i'm asking is, a lot of people like the sides of  t-giving more than the actual turkey so is she expecting the cranberry etc? (and is it even legal to serve turkey without cranberry? )

Sorry.

She wants the turducken because it's something different and she's never had it before.

But you do bring up a good point about the best part of t-giving dinner is the sides!

hmmmmm . . .

[Luci45]

I ordered one for Thanksgiving once. It was $80, was just, well, stuffed poultry, but it has become a family legend, so worth it.

Once, great! Again? Never from me.

I've GOT to do the Easter one - hollow chocolate bunny, Peeps, with a mini Cadbury egg in the Peep.

[NestHolder]

A friend of mine prepared this from scratch once.  There was a lot of cursing from the kitchen as she deboned the birds!  (I don't think it was turkey/duck/chicken, there was something else at some point, but the principle was the same.)  I'd strongly advise you to buy a prepared one, unless you have a fair bit of experience of taking the bones out of birds.

I've cooked a boned turkey for Christmas dinner for many years, and it works very well.  I lay streaky bacon across the inside and fill it with two kinds of stuffing, wrap and tie it into a somewhat untidy bundle (the butcher stitches it all up neatly but I had to undo it for the stuffing), cover it with butter (you can poke this under the skin if you feel like it) and lay more bacon on the top.  Then it gets wrapped in foil and cooks surprisingly quickly, for the weight involved.  I expect you'd get instructions with your pre-prepared turducken, but if you've a choice I recommend a version which cooks it in foil and just opens up for the last half hour or so.  Let it stand warm for a good while.  After that it is a joy to carve!

[jpcher]

Dressing:

This is where it gets tricky as far as taste and measurements . . . I start with maybe 2 cups of mayo (Hellmann's) add 2 raw eggs and about  4 tbs. each of vegetable oil and white vinegar. Add a bit of salt to taste. Blend well. I usually add a bit more vinegar to balance the flavor . . . It's a fine line between mayo tasting and too much vinegar. I tend to go towards the vinegar side as it adds a little bit of "bite" flavor. I'm also light on the salt. I figure eaters can add their own salt if desired.

Pour the dressing over the salad and let it all sit in the fridge overnight. Mix before serving.

Sounds delicious.  I'm concerned about raw eggs, and wonder if there is a substitute?  I don't think we can get pasteurized eggs in our area (and don't know if they would be any different than regular ones).

(first off, there's only 1 raw egg, I screwed up when I was posting -- I edited my post with the recipe.)

I never worried about the raw egg because, well, my mother never worried about it nor did my father's mother. But you bring up a good point, thanks for asking, Bijou.


This is from the link that DottyG posted:

"Cooking Whole Eggs for Use in Recipes – As a nutritious combination of egg whites and yolks, whole eggs should be fully cooked for assured safety in recipes that call for raw or lightly cooked eggs. The following method can be used with any number of eggs and works for a variety of recipes.

In a heavy saucepan, stir together the eggs and either sugar, water or other liquid from the recipe (at least 1/4 cup sugar, liquid or a combination per egg). Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the egg mixture coats a metal spoon with a thin film or reaches 160° F. Immediately place the saucepan in ice water and stir until the egg mixture is cool. Proceed with the recipe."

I bet you could cook the egg with the vinegar.

I should start doing this.



Thanks, DottyG!

[Diane AKA Traska]

I hope you're ALL satisfied with yourselves.

I've gone and decided that we're having turducken for Thanksgiving this year.  The more I think about it, the more I want to try one to say I tried one.

Just THINK about what you've done.

 

[DottyG]

I know I'm satisfied.  How are the rest of you?  Everyone happy that we made her decide this?

[MacadamiaNut]

I know I'm satisfied.  How are the rest of you?  Everyone happy that we made her decide this?

Well, I'm not guilty of leading Traska into this food inception craze.  I was not one of the proponents of the turducken, you see. 

So... good luck sleeping at night, the rest of you!  tsk tsk tsk.

 

[White Dragon]

Jumping in a bit late -

I had turducken at a restaurant last year. In that variation, the chicken had stuffing in it, then the duck, then the turkey.

It wasn't 'amazing', but it was tasty and a fun thing.

In the format I had, it seemed to me like it was just the breasts wrapped around each other. That seemed to me like a *way* easier approach than trying to debone everything and still have it not mangled.

[buvezdevin]

I know I'm satisfied.  How are the rest of you?  Everyone happy that we made her decide this?

Well, I'm not guilty of leading Traska into this food inception craze.  I was not one of the proponents of the turducken, you see. 

So... good luck sleeping at night, the rest of you!  tsk tsk tsk.

 

I expect to sleep very well tonight, assuming I can put aside my eagerness to hear Traska will hopefully share of next Thankgiving's turducken ala Traska.

*hums to self, thinks of earlier posts and wonders:  will Traska incorporate bacon?  If so, could I send a tiny cape and mask and ask for a photo of baturducken?*

ETA:  jpcher, I assumed my eagerness to hear of turducken ala jpcher was implied - however, I do wish to extend my offer of a tiny cape and mask to you as well should you go "baturducken"

[jedikaiti]

I ordered one for Thanksgiving once. It was $80, was just, well, stuffed poultry, but it has become a family legend, so worth it.

Once, great! Again? Never from me.

I've GOT to do the Easter one - hollow chocolate bunny, Peeps, with a mini Cadbury egg in the Peep.

I wonder if there's still any clearance Easter candy at the grocery store...

[Deetee]

My mom serves turkey dinner during the spring/summer for outdoor meals as it's easy and everyone likes it.

I've only been around for a couple of those meals, but it was a brilliant idea.

As a thought on the eggs, when i was making Ceasar salad, I learned that any bacteria associated with the egg was on the shell, so if you drop the egg in boiling water for one minute and make sure your hands are clean when you crack the egg, you're all good.

And it's delicious!

[jpcher]

UPDATE:

What a smashing success!

Nobody at the party ever had turducken before. Several people never even heard of it and were quite intrigued. One person (BIL) heard of it and looked at me squeamishly and said "That doesn't even sound appetizing." (Don't worry about him being rude, he said it as an aside to me and ended up eating his words, because he went back for second and thirds!)

I have to tell you, it was the funniest thing I ever saw . . . when I took the turducken out of the roaster and was getting ready to carve it there were a few people milling about in the kitchen. Someone said "Oh, wait! I gotta get a picture!" A few others came into the kitchen to gawk.

I went out to the dining room and mentioned that the turducken was out and did anybody want to see it before I carved it ? EVERYBODY jumped up and ran into the kitchen.

I thought, Wow. So I went to the patio and deck and told everybody out there . . . 30 people standing in line to view the turducken. Many with their cameras! They even had DD#2 pose with the turducken!

It was like the viewing of a new baby or sewing machine* or something.

I just stood back and laughed. DD#2 really picked a winner for a novelty meal. I just hope she didn't feel upstaged by the turducken!


The menu was perfect (menu is posted here: http://www.etiquettehell.com/smf/index.php?topic=116029.0 . . . I didn't want to update in two places, so I'll talk a bit about the food here if you don't mind )

The blanched green bean salad that Cicero suggested with honey mustard vinegarette dressing was soooo easy and delicious! I didn't make enough! (Or maybe just enough because there was only a spoonful or two left.) Several people asked for the recipe.

MrsJWine -- Thanks for the suggestion of sweet potato wedges fries (roasted in the oven.) The sweet-potato freaks I know really enjoyed having this out of season.

Hmmmmm -- Great suggestion for the cajun dips. The alligator and shrimp dip that I ordered with the turducken were simply divine.

I found fresh corn on the cob (yea!) and I just boiled it. While I do like it grilled in the husks, I didn't want guests to have to deal with the husks.

Enough about food . . . I just really, really, really want to thank everybody for their input on this party.

The DDs worked hard cleaning the house and helping me shop and prepare. I have to give them big kudos.



A special thanks to all the posters that suggested/recommended Heberts. I was very pleased with their service and the flavors were outstanding. Next time I do turducken, I will order from them again.




I think my guests will mark this up as one of their favorite parties. I know I will.



I couldn't have done it without your suggestions and support.

THANK YOU!





*reference to "Fiddler on the Roof"

[Snooks]

I think we need to see some of the pictures of the turducken.

[cicero]

I think we need to see some of the pictures of the turducken.

agree and glad it all worked out

[Hmmmmm]

So glad it was well received.  I'm going to need to try the green bean salad this weekend.