Word of the Day

: June 19, 2014

turducken

noun ter-DUCK-un

What It Means

: a boneless chicken stuffed into a boneless duck stuffed into a boneless turkey

turducken in Context

For your next dinner party, you might want to take a shot at making turducken.

"Mike has adjusted his plans for fabled menus, taking into account the ages-and foibles-of his guests. The fabulous standing rib roast and turducken of years past will be replaced by something plainer." - Sally Friedman, Northeast Times (Philadelphia), January 1, 2014

Did You Know?

You can probably guess the origins of "turducken" just by looking at the word; it is a portmanteau (a word whose form is derived from a blending of two or more distinct other words) created by combining the words "turkey," "duck," and "chicken," and the dish does indeed incorporate all three varieties of fowl. "Turducken" was first noted in print in 1982, although it may have been in use before that. The dish is a cousin of ballotine, a less familiar food item consisting of deboned meat, poultry, or fish stuffed with seasoned meats or vegetables, rolled and tied into a bundle shape, and usually braised. (The word "ballotine" derives from the French word for "bundle.")