With every dining spot in Manchester unveiling their Christmas menus this month, The Blues Kitchen has introduced an item to rival them all… introducing the ‘Tur-duck-en Burger’! What may appear a novelty burger on the surface instantly revealed itself to be an indulgent, festive wonder. It boldly balanced all of your favourite Christmas flavours within a burger, earning itself the title of gourmet.
Stepping into The Blues Kitchen, you enter into a world of cosy sophistication; a night out here is indeed a treat! At our table, we enjoyed the classiness of live music accompanied by delicately crafted, unique cocktails, and the anticipation began. Having never had the strange pleasure of sampling a traditional turducken before, I was intrigued about how such a dish came about, and the inspiration for what The Blues Kitchen have crafted into a modern-day classic.
In my quest to discover when the turducken phenomenon began, I found that The Blues Kitchen’s Tur-duck-en Burger appears to be a modern-day telling on a rather ‘olde worlde’ practice, known as engastration. This is a technique of stuffing foods, typically meats, into one another dating back as far as Roman times. I wonder how often those Roman Empire boys are thinking about stuffing birds inside one another.
So, with that quick history lesson in mind, what was the verdict? The Tur-duck-en Burger first introduces you to a layer of crispy chicken skin, bringing salty, umami flavours to the forefront, before revealing a festive combination of flavours that do not hold back.
Bursting with flavours of orange, cinnamon, and pink peppercorns, the confited duck, encased in a decadent layer of turkey and chicken mince steals the show. Each sensation here vies for your attention while complimenting each other perfectly, as the gentle spices of the cinnamon and peppercorns envelop the citrusy sweetness of the orange.
These flavours of course were not alone, joined by tart, yet not overpowering cranberry sauce, a subtle layer of shallot mayonnaise, a few leaves of spinach (making this a healthy meal, obviously!), crispy rashers of bacon, and a few slices of brie – which to my taste was lacking slightly, this being my only real criticism.
Each element of this burger married together, making every bite a joy, especially when accompanied by well-seasoned fries. To top it all off, I went for a side of mac and cheese which, with a helping of bacon gravy, was a sensation.
So, if indulgent opulence is what you’re looking for this Christmas, The Blues Kitchen’s festive offering is the way to go. This burger goes against the grain in so many ways, with some feeling uncomfortable about the notion of animals being served up this way, yet undeniably harks back to the nostalgia that is a traditional Christmas dinner.
As burgers go, it’s unpredictably thought-provoking, perhaps even inspirational, in suggesting flavour and texture combinations that we might all bring to our own Christmas dinners. That’s not to say you should all be confiting ducks in Oak House.
On the whole, the Tur-duck-en Burger was a festive surprise of a meal, as The Blues Kitchen have not held back with this one, you’re sure to be left feeling as stuffed as that poor old turkey.
The Tur-duck-en Burger is available until the 31st December, so head down to The Blues Kitchen before you miss out!
