Thanksgiving with Chevillon

Tom S

I hear that frying a whole turkey helps seal in the juice and makes it especially tender and juicy. This has to be done outside in a huge turkey fryer pot that usually is heated by a propane burner. Of course the turkey is not stuffed so that the oil can reach the inside. I have seen the fryer pots for sale at a fairly reasonable price, but enough peanut oil to fill such a pot would cost a lot.

Or instead you can bone and stuff a small chicken, use it to stuff a small boned duck, and use the combination to stuff a boned turkey.Creole pork sausage often is used in the stuffing. I believe this combination may have been started in southern Louisiana. Since this is a lot of work, a few places will sell you thus Tur-Duc-Hen by air delivery. Since it is completely boned, it is very easy to slice and serve.

I had smoked turkey breast, since I didn't want a lot of leftover turkey, and the smoked breast will keep fairly well and can be frozen. The dressing was separate, but I used good chicken stock and added some black truffle peels to give it more interest.

My late father detested being served the same food over a short time period, and he especially disliked eating turkey for several days after Thanksgiving, even when it was used in several different dishes. He would always ask my mother not to buy too large a turkey a few times before every Thanksgiving. Then if there was much turkey left, he would suggest freezing it.