Turducken (American Thanksgiving — Multi-Bird Tradition)

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (1.2kg), cleaned
• 1 whole duck (1.8kg), cleaned
• 1 whole turkey (4.5kg), cleaned
• 100g butter, softened
• 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
• 1 bunch fresh thyme (15g)
• 1 bunch fresh sage (10g)
• 10g sea salt
• 3g Tellicherry black pepper
• 250ml chicken stock

Method

1. 1
   Pat all three birds dry inside and out with paper towels.
2. 2
   Butterfly the chicken by cutting along both sides of the backbone and removing it; season cavity with salt and pepper.
3. 3
   Season the duck cavity; place inside the chicken cavity, legs folded inward; truss chicken legs with kitchen twine.
4. 4
   Season the turkey cavity with salt, pepper, and half the herbs; place the chicken-duck combination inside the turkey cavity, folding wings under.
5. 5
   Rub entire turducken with softened butter, season exterior generously with salt, pepper, remaining herbs; place on a sturdy roasting pan, scatter onion around base, pour stock into pan.
6. 6
   Roast at 160°C for 3–3.5 hours, basting every 30 minutes with pan juices; turducken is done when the thickest thigh (turkey) registers 74°C on an instant-read thermometer.
7. 7
   Rest the assembled bird uncovered for 25 minutes before carving.
8. 8
   Carve by cutting through all three birds simultaneously, revealing the distinct layers; serve with pan juices strained and skimmed of fat.