We ended up with an extra large bird. How do you cook such a huge bird?

[barra060]

Just saw this post-

Somewhat related on size I made a turducken one year, which started off with about a 20 lb turkey, 8 lb duck and 4 lb chicken. Added to that was stuffing mixed with venison sausage. Total weight was near 40 lbs. I started off roasting it for 12 hours in the oven at around 225, then switched it to the smoker for the last eight. I've never seen so much dripping from poultry before, as the roasting pan looked like it had over a gallon in it! Came out great. Leftovers for what seemed like a month.

 

[popsicle]

Just saw this post-

Somewhat related on size I made a turducken one year, which started off with about a 20 lb turkey, 8 lb duck and 4 lb chicken. Added to that was stuffing mixed with venison sausage. Total weight was near 40 lbs. I started off roasting it for 12 hours in the oven at around 225, then switched it to the smoker for the last eight. I've never seen so much dripping from poultry before, as the roasting pan looked like it had over a gallon in it! Came out great. Leftovers for what seemed like a month.

I know I can google a recipe, but did you debone the birds? I gotta assume you did.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Just saw this post-

Somewhat related on size I made a turducken one year, which started off with about a 20 lb turkey, 8 lb duck and 4 lb chicken. Added to that was stuffing mixed with venison sausage. Total weight was near 40 lbs. I started off roasting it for 12 hours in the oven at around 225, then switched it to the smoker for the last eight. I've never seen so much dripping from poultry before, as the roasting pan looked like it had over a gallon in it! Came out great. Leftovers for what seemed like a month.

Maybe I'll try this next year, just for fun. Though I don't know if I'll have any grace de-boning the birds. Or ever get it cooked all the way through.

I would think there would be a ton of "drippings" from a TurDuckIn. In particular, ducks can produce a LOT of fat. Duck fat is WONDERFUL stuff. In France they use Goose fat a lot ... that stuff is even better.

 

[barra060]

Yes, you debone all three but with varying amounts. The chicken and duck are a complete deboning, whereas the turkey you leave the leg and wing bones attached, and only remove the ribs, breast plate and back. That alone to debone the birds took about an hour. With the chicken and duck, I would just remove the wings except for the drummette if it was meaty enough. Once the turkey is done, you lay it out flat with the inside carcass exposed, cover the inside with about an inch layer of a sausage stuffing, then lay in the duck and cover the inside with another layer of stuffing, then the chicken and another layer of stuffing inside the it. Fold it up and closed then tie it with the cooking twine in at least three or four places then cook/smoke it over very low heat. I might have been wrong about the oven temp previously, as I think it was around 185 degrees. Smells the whole house wonderfully for about a week at that temp!

Sorry this reply took so long. I forgot to push send and it has been sitting on my computer at work for the past three days. Fortunately my boss is my wife and she can't fire me for personal use of business equipment!