Which fowl dish did cajun chef Paul Prudhomme claim to have invented in the 1970s?

A turducken is weird. Like very weird. It may seem like it’s part of a recent trend in creating super over-the-top food creations all for the sake of posting a jaw-dropping photo on Instagram, but this opulent creation dates back centuries. Three incredible meats stuffed on top of one another and rolled up into one package? And a bread stuffing too? It’s the ultimate Thanksgiving dinner. But as bizarre as turducken may seem on the surface, it’s one dish that’s part of a robust culinary tradition known as engastration, which is essentially food stuffed into more food.

The late Cajun chef Paul Prudhomme claimed to have invented the turducken (a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken) in the 1970s. He became synonymous with the dish—and even trademarked the name in 1986 (Turducken™). Yet, there are plenty of skeptics who aren’t quite sold on the origins of the turducken and Prudhomme’s ownership of the invention.