Cluck-hen

PattyO

After reading about turducken with whole birds, turducken with breasts only and turducken with thigh quarters in lasagne fashion I really wanted to give it a go. I can't feed as many people as it would take for any of these so I divised my own stuffed bird within a bird. I used a fryer chicken, boned and laid flat with cornbread stuffing and toasted walnuts. Set a boned Cornish hen over it with whole wheat bread stuffing just for contrast. Skewered the hen together and wrapped the chicken around it and laced shut, and trussed. Seasoned with Paul Prundhomme Poultry Magic. Roasted it on the egg plate setter legs up with drip pan. V rack on grid. 300', 2-1/2 hrs. Perfect at 165 deep inside.
For presentation I carved straight down dividing the birds in half, neck to tail. Then cut 2" slices from each half. It was perfect. Skin was golden. There was a bit of a split in breast at the end of cooking. I should have tied the body of the bird, as well as the wings and legs. I thought the string would cut through the skin. It was very pretty and very moist. The pan drippings dried up so I made a gravy from saved drippings, flour to a roux, added herbs and broth. As the bird was cooling before presentation I put some halved fruit on the grid. I love grilled fruit. Sometimes with maple syrup, or brown sugar and cinnamon or DP's pineapple head. Cut in half, take out the seed or core, flesh side down until char, turn over and finish until soft. Doesn't take long.
If you can't do a turducken, try a cluck-hen.