Harvest Moon Bed & Breakfast New Holland, Pennsylvania A culinary respite in the 'essence' of Lancaster County! Contact Info | Email this page to a Friend | Check Room Availability  | Click to see a map  | Visit our Web Site Additional Pages... Introduction Guest Rooms/Rates Breakfast Weddings at Harvest Moon Area Attractions Kid Friendly Our Favorite Recipes How to Find Us Special Packages   Availability Search: See which rooms are available during your stay. Check in: Check out: Powered by Webervations Clear search results Rooms Available from  to  Learn more about these rooms These are our base rates - certain discounts and/or charges may apply

Before starting, you will need cotton thread, a darning needle, cotton butcher's string, cheesecloth and a meat thermometer. Considering the cooking time, it is best to remove the bones and make the stuffing and stock a day ahead. For food safety reasons, do not stuff the birds ahead of time. To have the Turducken finished for dinner, you will have to put it in the oven around 4 a.m. Make sure your oven temperature is accurate before starting. Otherwise, cooking time could vary drastically because of the low temperature. If working with a smaller Turkey, your cooking time will not be as long.

Ingredients:
20 to 25 lb. (9 to 11 kg) fresh turkey
4 to 5 lb. (2 to 21/4 kg) duck
3 to 4 lb. (1 1/2 to 2 kg) chicken
4 carrots, quartered
4 stalks celery, quartered
2 leeks, white part only, chopped, washed
2 onions, quartered
4 cloves garlic, halved

Stuffing:
2 lb. (1 kg) Ground Pork
6 onions, chopped
7 stalks celery, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs. dried thyme
2 tsp fennel seeds
10 cups cubed white bread, crusts removed (about 2 small loaves)
1/2 cup walnuts
˝ cup of currants or raisons

Stuffing number 2:
3 stalks of celery
2 onions
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup of dried figs
2 cloves of garlic
˝ tbs. dried thyme
˝ tsp. Dried sage
5 cups white bread crusts removed
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup of goat cheese

Seasoning blend:
2 tbs. each: salt, sage
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs. each: freshly ground black pepper, dried thyme, rosemary

Gravy:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups Turducken stock or chicken stock
1/2 tsp each: salt, freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1. On large, clean cutting board, place turkey with neck away from you, breast side down. Using sharp boning knife, trim any excess skin. Cut through skin along length of one side of spine. Using knife tip, separate meat from rib cage the length of turkey. Starting at neck cut through meat to expose shoulder blade. Cut meat away from and around the bone, severing bone at joint to remove shoulder blade. Cut wing tips off between second and third joints. Continue separating meat from back, working toward parson's nose. Keeping knife flush with frame, be sure to keep oyster (pocket of meat near center of back) attached to skin rather than leaving it with bone. Cut meat away from and around thigh bone. Cut through joint to remove thighbone, leaving drumstick bone attached. Remove as many tendons as possible. Take breast off bone until you are at tip of breastbone. Repeat on other side of turkey.

2. Lift up bones, cutting off remnants of flesh. Take care not to puncture breast. You will end up with a flat, boneless (except for wings and legs) turkey with the skin intact in one large piece. Cover and refrigerate. Reserve bones for stock. Remove the bones from the duck in same way, but remove the bones from wings and legs also. Cut through skin at tip of drumstick bone and scrape down bone, separating meat as you go. At the base, work from inside duck and remove bone, keeping skin intact. Repeat with remaining leg. Cut off first two joints of the wings. Slip out each wing bone in exactly the same way as the leg bones. Cover and refrigerate. Reserve bones for stock.

Repeat boning procedure on chicken. Cover and refrigerate. Reserve bones for stock.

3. For stock, put reserved bones in stockpot with carrots, celery, leeks, onions, garlic, peppercorns, parsley, thyme and bay leaves. Cover with cold water. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 2 to 3 hours, skimming off froth as necessary. Strain through fine mesh sieve. Discard solids or reserve meat and vegetables for soup. Return stock to pot and boil until reduced to 4 cups.

4. Cook ground pork, breaking up with spoon over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until browned. Add onions, celery, garlic, thyme, sage, and fennel seeds. Reduce heat to medium and cook, covered, 12 minutes, until vegetables are softened. Stir in bread, walnuts and currants.

5. Prepare second stuffing same as the first use the figs and cranberries as the "meat" to sauté. Add stock at end to desired consistency. Fold cheese in at the end.

6. For seasoning mix, in small bowl, combine salt, garlic, pepper, and thyme. Place turkey skin side down on clean large work surface. Rub 4 tablespoons seasoning mix evenly on meat. Spread 5 cups stuffing in even layer to cover turkey.

7. Place duck, skin side down, centered on turkey. Rub 2-tablespoon seasoning evenly on meat. Spread 3 cups stuffing in even layer to cover duck.

8. Place chicken, skin side down, centered on duck. Rub 2 tablespoons seasoning evenly on meat. Cover evenly with remaining stuffing.

9. Put hands under turkey and fold sides together. Using cotton thread and darning needle, sew up back of turkey. If there is a gap where sides don't meet, cover with strip of cheesecloth before sewing.

10. Starting under legs, truss turkey with cotton string at 1 -inch intervals the length of the bird, down to parson's nose.

11. Turn turkey over and place, back side down, on rack in large roasting pan. Tie legs together.

12. Roast in center of preheated 200F oven for 13 to 15 hours, until meat thermometer inserted in middle through to center reads 165F. Remove drippings from pan every few hours. Be sure to check often.

13. Transfer to large platter and tent with foil. Let sit I hour.

14. For gravy, drain all but 2 tablespoons fat from roasting pan. Heat pan over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Whisk in stock. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring to scrape up brown bits from bottom of pan, 8 minutes or until thickened slightly. Add salt and pepper.

15. To serve, remove string and cut bird in half lengthwise. Slice each half crosswise into 3/4 inch thick slices. Serve with gravy.

Makes 15 to 25 servings.

back to first page

Click-on these pages for more information:  | Introduction | Guest Rooms/Rates | Breakfast | Weddings at Harvest Moon | Area Attractions | Kid Friendly | Our Favorite Recipes | How to Find Us | Special Packages |

back to top of this page