Walnut & Wild Mushroom Turduken (3-bird roast)

A Turducken is not so well known in Europe but a great favourite back home in South Africa. You can de-bone all the birds yourself, but it is very tricky, so I would suggest asking your local butcher to do this for you.  What is a Turduken? Check it out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turducken. It is so easy to assemble and is delish!  Here we go ...

3.5kg turkey, de-boned and butterflied
1.5kg chicken, de-boned and butterflied
1 duck breast, skin removed
2 shallots, chopped
2 tbsp thyme
1 carrot, roughly chopped
50g butter, softened
1 glass white wine

For the stuffing:
25g dried porcini mushrooms
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 tbsp thyme, chopped
100g walnuts, chopped
200g good pork sausages, skin removed
2 tbsp parsley, roughly chopped
Zest 1 lemon
2 tbsp breadcrumbs

For the stuffing:
Soak mushrooms in 300ml boiling water, cover and stand for 30 min.  Drain and reserve liquid (for gravy).  Finely chop mushrooms.  Heat a little butter in a pan and fry shallots for 1 min.  Add mushrooms and cook for another 2 min.  Add all other stuffing ingredients and set aside.

To assembly the roast:
Heat over to 190'c
Open turkey, skin side down
Place 1/3 stuffing on top and spread evenly
Place duck breast on top in the middle
Spread a 1/3 of stuffing over breast
Place chicken, skin side down on top of everything
Add the last 1/3 of stuffing and spread evenly
Tuck the top and bottom and pull the long sides together
Tuck one long edge over the other and tightly secure roll with some butcher string (2 pairs of hands here makes it easier)
Scatter shallots, thyme and carrot at the bottom of a large roasting pan (disposable works well)
Place roast on top of veg and brush with melted butter
Pour wine in the pan and season generously with salt & pepper
Cook for  2hrs (needs to reach 68' - 70'c with a thermometer)
Remove from oven, cover with foil a rest for 30 min

I use the mushroom reserved liquid with store-bought packet gravy - no one know the difference!

Enjoy!

Prosciutto, Apricot, Pesto rolled Pork

Christmas decorations are up, festive songs in the background and I am trying out a few new festive feasts, with a few of my usual tweaks.  My first victim, a block of pork.  Here we go ....

1kg pork roast, bone out
6tsp Dijon mustard
1tsp black pepper
100g Prosciutto
1/4 cup dried apricots, fine dice
1/4 cup Parmesan, grated
1tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup parsley, rough chop
3 tbsp red pesto
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup brandy
4 springs fresh thyme

Heat over to 160'c
Butterfly pork open lengthwise
Cover with cling film and bash with a rolling pin until even in thickness
On one side smear 3tsp mustard and pepper
Place some baking paper on a clean surface
Layer Prosciutto on top of baking paper in a line with sides overlapping
Place pork on top, mustard side down
Smear balance of mustard on side facing up
Add apricots, Parmesan, salt, pepper, parsley and dollops of pesto
Starting one end carefully roll pork up, keeping it tight all the way
Secure with some string, so nothing unravels
Brown all sides in a little oil on top of the stove for 5 minutes in a Dutch oven
Add juice, brand and thyme, lid on and pop in the oven
Cook for 2 hours or until 145'c is reached on a meat thermometer

Slice think and serve with some apple sauce on the side, pasta and veg.
Yummy.