Bethany Well

Whatever happened to the traditional turkey dinner during Thanksgiving? Someone told me about the turducken last year around Thanksgiving. I have to be honest, the thought of three birds (duck, chicken, turkey) stuffed into one mammoth creation was disturbing. Yet, I still wanted to try it out.

Here in America we always have to one-up everything. Last year was the 3-in-1 turducken. This year is the 4-in-1 turbaconducken. This thing is so new Wikipedia doesn’t have a page for it yet. For those who don’t know, it’s basically the turducken wrapped in bacon.  There’s something about a turkey mummified with bacon.  Just doesn’t look right.  Poor turkey.

As I was gawking at the picture of the turbaconducken I thought to myself, “What else can you shove or wrap around a turkey?” Just when I thought this can’t be outdone, I found out the French took the bird concoction to a WHOLE NEW LEVEL…in the 19th century!

The name for this bird(s) is “Roast without equal” (scroll down to “Variations”). Very appropriate name considering this thing is 17…yes, SEVENTEEN…birds in one! According to Wikipedia this “Roast without equal” is a bustard stuffed with a turkey, a goose, a pheasant, a chicken, a duck, a guinea fowl, a teal, a woodcock, a partridge, a plover, a lapwing, a quail, a thrush, a lark, an Ortolan Bunting and a Garden Warbler. The finished product was so tightly packed that there was just enough space to squeeze in a single olive. Man, props to the chef who made this thing.

For those who are flirting with the idea to go old school this Thanksgiving and bring back this over-stuffed bird, make it at your own risk. Many of the listed birds are protected species. Sorry. But hey! If they managed to squeeze together seventeen birds back then, SURELY you can think of a way to make a five-bird-in-one feast next year! If you do, let me know. I have one more request…can I be a taste tester?

Written by: bethanywell on November 25, 2008.