Cajun Turducken

TURDUCKEN SEASONING

Combine kosher salt, black pepper, thyme, oregano and cayenne. Cover and set aside.

TURKEY AND CHICKEN BONING PROCEDURE

Remove the turkey giblets and set aside. Pat dry. Remove the bones but leaving the legs and wings.Trim any excess fat from the turkey and cut away all cartilage. Cover and chill the turkey while boning the chicken.

Remove the chicken giblets and set aside. Pat dry. Bone chicken completely, removing the tail, whole wings, all bones, fat and cartilage. If the birds are not an even thickness, cover with plastic wrap and gently flatten/pound to an even thickness. Cover and return both birds to the refrigerator.

ASSEMBLY

Prepare Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage Stuffing through step 2. Cover and chill until ready for assembly.

Prepare Fresh Mushroom, Onion and Walnut Stuffing through step 3.

Place the turkey, skin side down, on a clean flat surface. Sprinkle liberally with seasonings mix. Cover with a thin, even (1/2-inch) layer of chilled Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage Stuffing, spreading to within 1-inch of the edges. Do not pack the stuffing tightly. Dot with butter.

Place whole boned chicken, skin side down, over stuffing. Sprinkle with seasoning mix. Cover with 1/2-inch layer of chilled Fresh Mushroom, Onion and Walnut Stuffing, but do not pack stuffing tightly. Dot with additional butter.

Place duck breasts atop stuffing. Sprinkle with seasoning mix. Cover with a 1/2-inch layer of chilled stuffing, using the Italian Turkey Sausage Stuffing. Do not pack stuffing tightly. Dot with a final layer of butter.

Lift and fold the sides of the birds up and over to encase all ingredients. Using the tip of a knife or a large needle, punch small holes, about 1-inch apart, in the skin and tie opposite sides with butchers twine. Or encase in cheesecloth and tie the ends. A strip of cheese cloth may be placed in the opening to keep the stuffing inside the birds.

Loosely tie the legs together.

Brush the turducken with oil and season exterior with remaining seasoning mix.

ROASTING

Preheat conventional/thermal oven to 325 degrees F or a convection oven to 300 degrees F. Place the turducken, breast-side-up and seam-side-down, on a V-shaped rack in heavy roasting pan.

Add 1/2-inch poultry stock, vegetable stock or cold water to bottom of the roasting pan.

Spray the dull side of heavy duty aluminum foil with nonstick cooking spray. Place the foil, shiny side out, loosely over the turducken.

Roast, on the bottom oven shelf, for about 5 hours, rotating the pan every 2 hours. (This will help the birds roast more evenly and compensate for any hot spots in a thermal oven). Using a baster, remove excess drippings from the pan so the lower portion of the turducken does not boil/simmer in the hot drippings.

Remove foil, baste with pan drippings and continue to roast, uncovered, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F in the thickest area of the turducken.

Measure the temperature in several places to ensure the bird is cooked to 165 degrees F throughout.

Allow the turducken to stand for 30 minutes. Cut away all butchers twine and cut in 1/2-inch slices so each portion receives a combination of birds and stuffings.

Garnish with fresh herbs.