Tag: Holiday Recipe

Holiday Recipe: Preparing a Perfect Turducken

If you’re looking for a change of pace for what to put on the dinner table this holiday season, why not try cooking a turducken for your best holiday recipe? A turducken is a turkey stuffed with a duck, which is in turn stuffed with a chicken. This dish is sure to impress your guests and have them talking long after the meal is over, and thanks to these solid turducken preparation tips from Louisiana Cookin, your next feast is sure to impress.

Reasons to Cook a Turducken

There are many reasons to consider cooking the holiday recipe, a turducken, this season. First, it’s a unique dish that will stand out from the traditional turkey dinner. Your guests will be intrigued by this unusual presentation, and they’ll be eager to try it. Second, turducken is extremely flavorful. The different meats complement each other, and the stuffing adds an extra layer of flavor and texture. This is sure to be a hit with even the pickiest eaters. Third, cooking a turducken is relatively easy, especially if you use a pre-made stuffing mix. And since it’s already stuffed, there’s no need to worry about making additional side dishes. Just add some roasted potatoes or vegetables, and you’ve got a complete meal. So if you’re looking for something different this Thanksgiving, give turducken a try. It’s sure to please everyone at the table!

Preparation

When it comes to ensuring your turducken preparation is the best that it can be, thawing, basting, browning, and temperature-checking your turducken are extremely important cooking aspects to pay attention to.

Thawing

It is important to thaw a turducken completely before cooking. Thawing a frozen turducken can be done one of two ways: in the refrigerator or in cold water. If you choose to thaw your turducken in the refrigerator, place it on a tray or in a pan to catch any drips and allow 24-48 hours for it to thaw completely. If you’re short on time, you can place your turducken in cold water, making sure to change the water every 30 minutes. Either way, it is vital that you give your thawed bird plenty of time to reach room temperature before cooking. So, after your turducken has thawed in the fridge, remove it from the packaging and allow it to come to room temperature. Allowing your turducken to stand at room temperature for a full hour before cooking will help it to cook evenly.

Basting

Basting is key to keeping your turducken moist while it cooks. You can use any type of fat or oil for basting, but we recommend using melted bacon drippings. Once your turducken has rested at room temperature for an hour you’ll generously brush the outside with your melted bacon drippings before cooking. Basting your turducken will help it brown nicely in the oven. Additionally, you can also put some foil over the breast area during the first hour or so of cooking to prevent it from getting too dark.

Browning

Browning is an important process for getting that perfect golden color for this holiday recipe and cooking it through, but a key way to ensure that your turducken doesn’t succumb to “over-browning” is to tuck its wings underneath it prior to placing it in the oven. By tucking the wings beneath the bird, you are ensuring that this thin part of the turducken is essentially safe from over-crisping.

Temperature-Checking

Finally, cooking your turducken to the perfect temperature is essential. The internal temperature should be 165 degrees Fahrenheit when cooked through. The best way to know when your turkey is done is to use a meat thermometer. Insert it into the thickest part of the thigh, making sure not to touch bone, and cook until it registers at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the turducken from the oven and let it rest for 20-30 minutes before carving. This will give the juices a chance to redistribute and make carving easier. Serve and enjoy!

Lastly, Louisiana Cookin provided a top-notch secret gravy recipe that makes good use of your turducken drippings.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup of turducken drippings
  • ½ cup of all-purpose flour
  • 1½ cups of chicken broth, divided
  • ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Take a roasting pan or a large nonstick saucepan and heat your collected turducken drippings over medium high heat. While the drippings are heating, you’ll sprinkle your ½ cup of all-purpose flour over the droppings and whisk them together to combine.
  2. Cook this gravy by stirring the pan constantly for about 1 to 2 minutes, until it’s thickened. Then, add ½ cup of chicken broth to the pan, whisking to combine. Cook by stirring the pan constantly for another 1 to 2 minutes, until it’s thickened. Add your remaining cup of chicken broth and repeat the whisking steps.
  3. Finish the gravy off by adding your pepper and serve alongside your roasted turducken.
  4. Enjoy!

For more delicious holiday recipes, click here.

Holiday Pecan Pie Recipe

For many, the end of a year means bringing something to a holiday celebration, be it a gift, dish, or dessert. Luckily, SmittenKitchen has you covered with this detailed and delicious recipe for pecan pie, a dish that is always a crowd-pleaser. So, get your favorite cooking instruments ready and prepare the dessert that is perfect whether it’s fresh out of the oven or days later beneath a scoop of Vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients for Pecan Pie:

For the crust:

  • 1 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoon of granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoons of fine sea salt or fine table salt
  • 1 stick (4 ounces) of cold, unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup of cold water, plus an additional tablespoon if needed

For the filling:

  • 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter
  • 1 packed cup of dark brown sugar
  • ¾ cup of cane sugar syrup
  • 1-2 pinches of sea salt
  • 2 cups of pecan halves (preferably fresh)
  • 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs

Recipe for Pecan Pie:

  1. Begin preparing your pie dough by cutting your butter into chunks and then work the pieces into a combination of flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Work the butter into the flour until the mixture begins to resemble a coarse meal and the largest bits of butter are very small.
  2. Next, add ¼ cup of your very cold water into the mixture and stir it with a spoon until large slums begin to form. Knead the dough together with your hands and then wrap the dough in a sheet of plastic wrap. Refrigerate it for at least one hour and at maximum 48 hours.
  3. Prepare the pie crust by sprinkling flour on your countertop and rolling your dough into a 12 to 13-inch circle-adjacent shape. Fold the dough gently into quarters without creasing it and transfer it to a 9-inch standard pie plate. Unfold the dough and trim the overhanging pieces to about ½ of an inch. Fold the overhand under the edge of the pie crust and crimp it decoratively. Place it in the refrigerator afterward.
  4. Preheat your oven to 350°F and begin to prepare the filling by spreading your pecans out onto a rimmed baking sheet and then toasting them in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Throughout the process, be sure to stir them once or twice so that they toast evenly.
  5. Combine your butter, brown sugar, cane syrup, and a pinch of salt into a medium saucepan and cook it for 2 minutes. Remove it from the heat and stir in the pecans, cider vinegar, and vanilla. Pour it all into a bowl so that it cools faster and set the mixture to the side for about 5 to 10 minutes so that it can cool a little. Combine your three eggs into the mixture by whisking your eggs one at a time and top it all off by carefully pouring the mixture into your prepared pie shell.
  6. Bake the pie for 40 to 45 minutes until the edges are set and puffed slightly and the center is slightly firm to the touch. Cool the pie on a rack, and serve while it’s slightly warm or at room temperature.

Notes:

  • Be sure that you toast your pecans to truly bring out their flavor during the baking process.
  • In order to avoid your brown sugar becoming unnoticeable in the end product, always use dark brown sugar in place of light brown sugar. The additional molasses helps to keep the flavor intact.
  • If your pecan pie comes out of the oven and is too sweet or “gooey,” you can add a small amount of cider vinegar to counteract that taste and texture.

For more delicious recipes, click here.

Thanksgiving Roast Turkey

 

Last, but certainly not least, we will be featuring a scrumptious Turkey recipe for our final recipe before Thanksgiving. This amazing roasted Turkey is a crisp, clean way to serve your bird this year. The rosemary and sage seasoning are a light, fresh seasoning choice that really makes this dish.

If you have missed some of our other great side dishes, you can find them here or here. And don’t forget this delicious dessert that we posted about here.

We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving spent with friends and family.

Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 12-14 lb. whole turkey, neck, and giblets removed
  • kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 onion, cut into wedges
  • 1 bunch thyme
  • Small handful of rosemary sprigs
  • 1 small handful sage leaves
  • 1 head garlic, halved crosswise
  • 1/2 c. melted butter
  • 2 c. chicken broth

DIRECTIONS

  1. Position rack to the lower third of your oven and preheat oven to 450°. Pat turkey dry with paper towels and season the cavity generously with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with onion, thyme, rosemary, sage and garlic. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips under the body.
  2. Brush butter all over turkey then season generously with salt and pepper. Place turkey breast side up on a roasting rack inside of a large pan. Pour chicken broth into the pan. Transfer to oven and immediately reduce oven heat to 350°.
  3. Baste every 30 to 45 minutes with the juices on the bottom of the pan, and roast for 3 to 4 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and thigh. (The meat temperature should be 165°).
  4. Cover cooked turkey with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.