courtesy Yahoo.com
The man who introduced NFL great John Madden to one of his favorite dishes – the TURDUCKEN – mourns the passage of the football legend. New Orleans butcher Glenn Mistich says he first met Madden in 1996, during the Saints – Rams game. During an appearance on WWL radio, the subject of the “turducken” came up. Mistich says, “Two days later, he called me and asked if I could ship some to California. Of course I did, and then – next thing you know – Fox Sports calls and said he wanted it to be the Official Food of the All-Madden Team”
New Orleans radio personality Bob DelGiorno, right, brought Glenn Mistich, center, to introduce John Madden to the turducken in 1996. Courtesy Glenn Mistich.
Madden frequently raved about the turducken during broadcasts, and Mistich says that undoubtably contributed to the popularity of the food. He says sales went from 250 to over 6000 in a year, and he credits Madden for that.
For the unenlightened, a “turducken” is a chicken, stuffed inside a duck, stuffed inside a turkey. The dish has become a holiday table tradition for many across the state. Mistich says, after talking with Madden quite a bit, he sent the Madden family one. He’s done the same every year since.
Madden passed away, at age 85, and Mistich says he will miss his friend. Mistich does not claim to have invented the turducken. That honor lies with the late Chef Paul Prudhomme of New Orleans.
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