The perfect way to roast up a successful day in the field! This is fun just to see what kind of a creation you can come up with… Turgooseduck? Turkchukduck? Turkpheasdove? TGD, TCD, TPD… obviously, the combinations are as wide as the variety of game birds in your area. The best thing about combining game birds is not only a dazzling presentation but a tender, flavorful, moist end product. The larger turkey protects some of the more delicate birds and the sausage infused throughout adds the needed fat to these lean meats and keeps them moist. It is also a great way to introduce people to a variety of game giving them the chance to have just a bite/taste of duck or quail without the commitment of eating an entire bird.
Turkpheasquail
1 wild turkey, deboned
1 pheasant, deboned
1 quail, deboned
1 pound pork sausage
1 onion
2 carrots
2 celery stalks
2 sprigs rosemary
1/4 cup olive oil
Seasoning rub of choice
After cleaning, plucking and deboning birds, lay each bird out butterfly style, skin side down. Sprinkle seasoning over turkey and evenly distribute half of the sausage in a thin layer on top of the turkey. Lay pheasant, skin side down over the sausage layer. Place remaining sausage on top of the pheasant. Place quail, skin side down over the sausage layer.
Starting with the leg area of the turkey, roll up toward breast area. Pull both sides of the turkey in, like closing a book. Place roasting pan on top of the turkey and turn the whole thing over so the “seam” is down.
Place onion, carrots, celery and rosemary in the pan around the birds. Coat turkey with a light layer of olive oil. Sprinkle on additional seasoning rub.
Roast in a pre-heated, 325º oven, 2 1/2 – 3 hours or until internal temperature reads 165-170º. Baste with pan drippings every 20-30 minutes. (Check temperature in several places to insure a proper reading throughout.) Let Turkpheasquail rest 30 minutes before carving/slicing.
Recipe Note: Any combination of game bird and waterfowl can be used in this recipe. Bird breasts can be used in place of the whole, deboned bird (with the exception of the turkey, it must be used whole).
