Turducken Trots into the Spotlight

Turkey and stuffing being quintessential components of a well-rounded Thanksgiving meal, it makes sense that gluttonously stuffed turkeys would rise to prominence as well. Case in point: turducken. The infamous chicken-stuffed-duck-stuffed-turkey is a bit of a gratuitous indulgence for some, but lately for chefs, it’s an opportunity to get whimsical.

The turducken concept provided inspiration for a unique burger at South Water Kitchen, where chef Roger Waysok has whipped up a holiday special for the month of November. The turducken burger features a housemade turkey and rice patty topped with chicken liver mousse and a fried duck egg. It’s all heaped together on a pretzel bun with a side of sweet potato fries, forming the perfect poultry-packed sandwich.

For Thanksgiving dinner this year, Acadia is adding a bit of class to the bloated turducken template. A highlight on the restaurant’s five-course Thanksgiving prix fixe menu, chef Ryan McCaskey is making his own riff on turducken with Swan Creek Farms turkey, chicken mousse line, and duck confit, all served with truffle bread pudding, whipped potato, and haricots verts.

A novel take on turducken this year is a Mediterranean-inspired departure from the American norm, found at Travelle. Here, chef Tim Graham is serving “turketta” as part of the restaurant’s Thanksgiving offerings. What is turketta, you ask? Rather than stuffing turkey with duck and chicken, Graham does so with truffles and chestnuts, a combination inspired by Italian porchetta made to highlight an all-American pastime in a new light.

South Water Kitchen
225 N. Wabash Avenue, Chicago
(312) 236-9300
Website

Acadia
1639 S. Wabash Avenue, Chicago
(312) 360-9500
Website

Travelle
330 N. Wabash Avenue, Chicago
(312) 923-7705
Website