The creation of the turducken (a turkey stuffed with a duck that is, in turn, stuffed with a chicken) is often credited to the famed Cajun chef Paul Prudhomme in the 1970s. Most home cooks (understandably) balk at the thought of deboning three whole birds, instead buying premade turduckens from butchers around Louisiana. Our Tur-Duck-Hen Casserole combines duck breast and chicken thighs with smoked turkey breast and a cornbread stuffing for a one-dish main that’s just plain delicious.
Tur-Duck-Hen Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 2 duck breasts (about 8 ounces each)
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- ½ cup chopped celery
- ½ cup chopped green bell pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 8 cups crumbled cornbread (non-sweet)
- 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 pound smoked turkey breast, thinly sliced
- Gravy, to serve
- Garnish: fresh sage
Instructions
- Sprinkle ½ teaspoon salt all over duck, and place, skin side down, in a 12-inch cast-iron braiser. Cook over medium heat, without moving, until skin is golden brown and crisp, 7 to 10 minutes. Turn duck, and cook until browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Reserve drippings in pan. Let stand for 15 minutes; thinly slice.
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- In same pan, cook onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in poultry seasoning and 1 teaspoon salt.
- In a large bowl, whisk together broth and eggs until well combined. Gently stir in onion mixture and crumbled cornbread.
- Sprinkle remaining ½ teaspoon salt all over chicken, and arrange in braiser in an even layer. Top with half of cornbread mixture. Place sliced duck in an even layer on top of cornbread mixture. Top with remaining half of cornbread mixture. Cover with lid.
- Bake for about 30 minutes. Place turkey slices, slightly overlapping, on top of dressing; cover and bake until turkey is heated through and dressing is set, 15 to 20 minutes more. Serve with gravy, and garnish with sage, if desired.
