Turduken Casserole Is the Easiest Way to Eat Three Birds at Once
I did many main Thanksgiving meals throughout the day, but one thing I never got involved with is turdaken. I have nothing against overeating all of this – eating three birds at once actually sounds fun – I just value my time, and boning three birds just to recreate them around each other takes too long. But by stacking the turkey, chicken, and duck in layers in a baking dish, we can get all three feathered friends in one bite, without having to deal with too many bones.
You can use any part of the poultry you like, but I chose duck legs (cheaper than breast), chicken thighs (tastier than breast), and smoked turkey thighs (it’s mostly turkey ham). I chose aggressively plain and creamy potatoes in a casserole for the base, and then covered the whole thing with a layer of green bean casserole because this dish needed a little greens (and crispy onions).
To make this miracle of several birds, you will need:
- 6 ounces of chicken meat (roughly two chicken thighs)
- 6 ounces of duck meat (approximately two duck legs)
- 6 ounces smoked turkey (just under a thigh)
- 1 pint schmalz or duck fat (if you cook the chicken and duck yourself)
- Salt and pepper
- 2 brown potatoes, peeled and cut into thin slices
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup fresh beans
- 2 tablespoons butter, schmalz, or duck fat
- 2 tablespoons of turkey or chicken flavored broth
- French crispy onions
If you start with raw chicken and duck (you can buy pre-cooked ones and I wouldn’t be angry), cook them however you want. You can fry them, you can do the same as me and lazily cook the confit for a couple of hours. Season all sides of the legs and thighs generously with salt and pepper first, let them hang in the refrigerator for a few hours (or overnight if you have time), then place them in a cozy oven-safe dish. Pour in half a liter of melted schmalt or duck fat, then place in the oven at 250 degrees until the thickest part of the duck leg reaches 170 ℉ (several hours). Remove the poultry parts from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 375 ℉.
While the meat is cooling, take a baking dish and place the first layer of potatoes. Season this layer with salt and pour in just enough cream to cover the first layer, repeat two more times. Place it in the oven until the top is bubbly and lightly browned, then remove and let cool for 10 minutes.
Remove the meat from the chicken and duck bones, cut it into small pieces and mix with the small pieces of smoked turkey. Sprinkle this pile of delicious poultry on top of the casserole. Remove the stems from a handful of healthy green beans, then boil them in salted water for a few minutes until they are bright green and tender crispy. Dip them in an ice bath, drain, then cut into two-inch pieces.
Finally, prepare the gravy. Cook two tablespoons of flour in two tablespoons of your favorite fat until the raw flour smell disappears and turns golden brown. Slowly add broth, whisking all the time to make the gravy thick. Sprinkle the poultry on the meat with a cup of chopped green beans, then top with the sauce you just made. Place the dish in the oven until it starts bubbling on the sides (about 20-25 minutes), then sprinkle with as many crispy onions as you like. Return it to the oven for another 5-10 minutes, until the onions are flavorful and lightly browned. Remove the casserole from the oven, let it cool for about five minutes, if you have the willpower, and serve with cranberry sauce.