Turducken - A Cajun Thanksgiving Treat
I am always looking for something new and different. As I have always loved hot and spicy food, I constantly look for new things that will please the palate.
In the latest issue The National Geographic Magazine - one of my favorite things in life — I found a recent article about the town of Maurice, Louisiana. I love the section NGM has that tells about life in zip code areas. Maurice, Louisiana’s zip, 70555, population 800, was in the November issue.
Maurice is famous locally for three things. The City Bar, who’s motto is “Not Just a Tradition, but a Lifestyle”, a speed trap that is listed on the Speed Trap Exchange website, and Hebert’s Specialty Meats.
Hebert’s Specialty Meats is the home of the “turducken“. Man, what a treat this appears to be!
A “turducken” is a deboned turkey, stuffed with a deboned duck, stuffed with a deboned chicken, and packed with either cornbread or pork stuffing. Stuffing options include alligator, crawfish, and shrimp. Seasoned with good old Cajun spices, it would be a feast for a king.
The story goes that Hebert’s started making this culinary delight in 1985, when a local farmer, with birds in hand, requested the soon-to-become house specialty. Now, Hebert’s sell about 3,330 turduckens a year, at a price of $59.95 USD each. An 8-10 pound turducken will feed about 15 people. For larger gatherings, they have a 14-16 pounder that will feed 23 people for 10 bucks more.
Out of curiosity, I did a Google search for “Hebert’s Specialty Meats” and sure enough, they have a website through which you can purchase a turducken for a holiday meal. Hebert’s will ship anywhere in the US via FedEx. Shipping prices are a bit high, but you can rest assured it will come to you without fear of spoilage, for they vacuum seal the turducken, pack it in Styrofoam boxes and use dry ice to keep it frozen.
This isn’t your typical lo-cal meal. An 8 ounce portion will gain you 430 calories, with 25 grams of fat. If you are looking for a big meat experience, however, such as for Thanksgiving or Christmas, then I think this would be a splendid choice. Rosie and I plan on getting one for Thanksgiving, and inviting the family over to share a festive meal.
Hebert’s warns that you should plan ahead if ordering a turducken, especially around the holidays. Thanksgiving and Christmas are their busiest times.
Try something different this year! How about a turducken stuffed with blue crab and shrimp?
Peace,
Charlie~
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