Turducken Tomatillo Tailgate Tchili Recipes

TURDUCKEN

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.

BOILERMAKER TAILGATE CHILI

Steps:

• Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground chuck and sausage into the hot pan, and cook until evenly browned. Drain off excess grease.
• Pour in the chili beans, spicy chili beans, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the onion, celery, green and red bell peppers, chile peppers, bacon bits, bouillon, and beer. Season with chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, oregano, cumin, hot pepper sauce, basil, salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, and sugar. Stir to blend, then cover and simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• After 2 hours, taste, and adjust salt, pepper, and chili powder if necessary. The longer the chili simmers, the better it will taste. Remove from heat and serve, or refrigerate, and serve the next day.
• To serve, ladle into bowls, and top with corn chips and shredded Cheddar cheese.

TURDUCKEN TOMATILLO TAILGATE TCHILI

Steps:

• Peel the papery skins from the tomatillos and rinse with water. Puree the tomatillos and the chipotle chilies together in a blender or large food processor. Set aside. Cut the duck down into two breasts and two leg/thigh quarters. Trim excess skin. Discard or save for another use the backbone, the wings, any innards, and the skin trimmings. Season the duck pieces on both sides with salt and pepper. Preheat the oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven or other large, heavy pot. Brown the duck pieces until a significant amount of duck fat has rendered, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the duck pieces to a plate to cool. The duck will not be fully cooked. Whisk the flour into the duck fat, a couple of tablespoons at a time, until a thick (but still liquid) roux has formed. The entire 1/2 cup of flour may not be required. Continue to whisk until the roux darkens to the color of peanut butter. Stir in the onions and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken sausage and the turkey and cook until the ground turkey is no longer pink. Stir in the ancho, the cumin, and the garlic powder and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the beer, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in the tomatillo and chipotle puree. Stir in the bay leaf and 2 teaspoons of the salt. Remove the skin and bones from the duck pieces. Coarsely chop the duck meat and stir into the chili pot. Bring the chili to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 1 hour. Stir in the corn, the poblano chilies, the beans, the canned chilies, and the oregano. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Stir in the cilantro. Taste the chili and add salt and pepper, to taste, as necessary. Serve with toppings: the corn chips, the queso fresco, and the sour cream.

TAILGATE CHILI

Steps:

• If using dried beans, sort through them to remove any small stones or debris. Place the beans in a large bowl and add water to cover. Soak overnight. Or place the beans in a large pot of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once the beans come to a boil, remove from the heat and set aside for 1 hour. Before cooking, discard any floating beans and drain. Combine the soaked beans and fresh water to cover in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then decrease the heat to low. Simmer, covered, until the beans are tender, about 1 hour. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and black pepper. Set aside.
• Heat a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the sausage, beef and onions. Cook, stirring often, breaking up the meat, until no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeno and cook until fragrant, 45 to 60 seconds. Add the chili powder, cumin, tomatoes and stock. Season with salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce the heat to simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 30 minutes. Add the cornmeal and reserved cooked or canned and drained black beans and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and the flavors have married, about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and black pepper. Serve the chili with sour cream, green onions and hot sauce on the side.

THE LEGENDARY TURDUCKEN

Steps:

• For the cornbread:
• Combine the water, sugar, and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and mix on low speed until well combined. Increase the speed to medium and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Cook's Note: Kneading the dough can also be done by hand.
• Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size. Knock the air out for 30 seconds by punching it down. You can now shape the dough into a ball, then place it onto a flour-dusted baking tray lined with parchment paper. Brush the top of the cornbread with egg wash, sprinkle the top with flour and coarse salt. Let it sit in a warm spot for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven at 400 degrees F.
• Bake the cornbread for approximately 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
• Cook's Note: You can tell if it's cooked by tapping its bottom. If it sounds hollow it's done, if it doesn't then pop it back in for a little longer. Once cooked, place the bread on a rack and allow it to cool for about 1 1/2 hours.
• For the stuffing:
• Cube up the cooled cornbread and set aside.
• In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the Morteau sausage and cook for about 5 minutes, until golden brown. Add the onions, celery, pepper, and garlic and continue cooking until translucent, about 5 minutes. Deglaze with the veal stock. Add in the cornbread. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the oysters and their liquid, parsley, paprika, and melted butter. Season the stuffing with salt, and pepper, to taste. Reserve the stuffing in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• To assemble the turducken:
• Spread the deboned turkey, skin-side down on a flat surface, exposing as much meat as possible. Sprinkle the meat generously and evenly with a total of about 3 tablespoons of the smoked paprika, patting the seasoning in with your hands. Cook's Note: Be sure to turn the leg, thigh and wing meat to the outside so you can season it too. Season the turkey with salt and pepper.
• Then stuff some of the stuffing in the leg, thigh and wing cavities until full but not tightly packed. Cook's Note: If too tightly packed, it may cause the leg and wing to burst open during cooking). Spread an even layer of the stuffing over the remaining exposed meat, about 1/2 to 3/4-inches thick. You should use a total of about 4 cups of stuffing.
• For the duck: Remove some of the fat and keep aside. Place the duck, skin-side down, on top of the stuffing, arranging the duck evenly over the stuffing. Season the exposed duck meat generously and evenly with smoked paprika, using about 1 tablespoon, and pressing it in with your hands. Season the duck with salt and pepper. Then spread about 1 cup of the stuffing evenly over the exposed duck meat, making the layer slightly less thick, about 1/2-inch thick. Repeat with the chicken and the remaining stuffing. Place an Italian truffle in the center, optional.
• Enlist someone's help to close turducken. Fold the sides of the turkey together to close the bird. Have your helper hold the turkey closed while you sew up all the openings, making the stitches about 1-inch apart. When you finish sewing up the turducken on the first side, turn it over in the pan to sew closed any openings on the other side. Then tie the legs together, just above the tip bones. Leave the turducken to cook, breast-side up, in the pan, tucking in the turkey wings.
• Serving suggestion: Serve with Root Vegetable Mash.
• With the assistance of your helper, carefully lift the turducken into an ungreased 15 by 11-inch baking pan that is at least 2 1/2-inches deep. Cook's Note: This pan size is ideal because the turducken fits snugly in the pan and stays in the proper shape while cooking).
• Place the turducken pan in a slightly larger pan with sides at least 2 1/2-inches deep, so that the larger pan will catch the overflow of drippings during cooking. Season the exposed side of the turducken with the remaining smoked paprika, patting it in with your hands. Brush with melted butter.
• Bake the turducken at 325 degrees F, about 4 hours, until done, or until a meat thermometer inserted through to the center reads 165 degrees F. When done, remove the turducken from the oven and let rest for about 15 minutes
• For the gravy:
• Place the turducken drippings in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the stock, fresh thyme, and beurre manie. Season the gravy with salt, and pepper, to taste. Let the gravy come to a boil. Turn down heat to medium-low and let the gravy simmer for 10 minutes.
• Cook's Note: Remember there are no bones to support the birds' structure.
• With strong spatulas inserted underneath the bird, carefully transfer the turducken to a serving platter and present it to your guests before carving. Be sure to make your slices crosswise so that each slice contains the stuffing and all 3 meats. Serve additional bowls of the dressings on the side and serve with the gravy and the Root Vegetable Mash, if desired.
• Cook's Notes: Stuffing and assembling the turducken can be done 1 day ahead and kept in the refrigerator.
• Beurre manie is 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons flour. This is used to help thicken sauces.