Coming Up To Christmas

[poliphilo]

Whilst sweeping the snow off the car I got into a snowball fight with a couple of passing lads. The snow is powdery- and not so good for making snowballs with.  They scored a couple of hits. I scored one. 

Sainsbury's was full of shoppers. The prices they charge for turkey- just because it's Christmas and they can- are shocking. We bought a large chicken instead.  To be honest I think turkey is dull. And dry. Very dry.

There's still a remote chance that we'll be cooking our chicken in our spanking new oven (rather than our old portable one.) We tried the new oven for the first time last night and it blew the circuit twice. I've just had a call from Adnan to say the company that supplied it will be sending someone round on Thursday to see if it can be fixed. 

Comments

[arielstarshadow.livejournal.com]

A few years ago, our family decided to buy an organic turkey (meaning raised humanely, free-range, no icky hormones while being raised, no nasty additives after slaughter), and the difference is beyond belief. And luckily, over the years, the price has come down considerably.
We honestly find it is well worth the extra money, as there is more MEAT on them than on the non-organic. Two turkeys of the exact same weight, and the organic will have 2x the actual meat of the non-organic.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I'm all for ethically produced meat.

But given a choice between turkey and almost anything else I'd go for almost anything else every time.

[arielstarshadow.livejournal.com]

I would have said the same thing until we tried the organic. It's amazing, how not-dry it is, and that there's actual flavor.

[oakmouse]

That's been my experience too. Unfortunately, we relocated to an area where we can't get organic turkey, and we've all but given up eating turkey anymore; the organic is just that much better. And here, turkey is just plain expensive, so we can get organic chicken for less per pound than non-organic turkey.

[oakmouse]

We're having roast chicken for solstice. Turkey here is expensive and non-organic by definition, and just not worth it. The chicken, on the other hand, is good and usually not very expensive, even the organic. Plus one chicken makes us two dinners and a pot of soup for very little money, so good deal all around.

[sorenr.livejournal.com]

I definitely prefer chicken to turkey as well, though both are inferior to a nice goose or - as is the tradition in my family - a duck. In Denmark Christmas dinner seems to be a choice between roast duck and roast pork, and I've never much liked roast port... Both, though, are served with regular boiled potatoes, small boiled potatoes covered in caramel, braised red cabbage and occasionally also something sweet and something sour. Oh, and gallons of gravy!

(I would prefer roast potatoes to the boiled ones, though... But don't tell my dad!)

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

The secret of roasting a turkey so it doesn't dry out is to steam roast it (in a deep roasting pan with liquid in the bottom and covered tightly with aluminum foil which you remove towards the end so the turkey can brown a bit) and for fantastic flavour you stuff the bird with a good classic bread stuffing that has sage and thyme, celery and onion in it.
I just do what my mother did and it's lovely.
:)

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm tempted. The local supermarket sells organic turkey. Maybe after Christmas...

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

We've bought a larger chicken than we normally would. I expect to get a curry or risotto or two out of it after Christmas.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Very different.

I love roast potatoes. I cook them in the roasting pan along with the meat.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

That sounds very good.

I've recently taken to stuffing the fowl I roast with lemons. It's a tip I picked up from Jamie Oliver.

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

I stuff my chickens with lemons. Good stuff!

[daisytells.livejournal.com]

Funny, isnt it how so many brand new things just do not work properly. I just bought a new toaster and all it did was fill the kitchen with smoke because it did not pop up when the toast was done. After I removed to blackened slabs of what was once bread, I boxed the toaster and plan to return it straightaway! I want a refund, not a replacement. Shoddy stuff. Made in China.

[baritonejeff.livejournal.com]

Not that I'm trying to convert you, but a good quality turkey, properly cooked, is anything but dry. The problem is...most people have no idea how to cook one, and how simple that is. Plus, they often buy those frozen, processed, 20 lb. bricks piled in the bins for 59 cents a pound. Yes, they're very affordable. Yes, they're crap.

I only buy one turkey a year. I spend a bit more for a good, fresh, free range one. My turkeys always come out moist, and very flavorful.

Enjoy your chicken! Roast chicken is one of my favorite meals. :)

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

When I was a kid it was Japanese goods that were notorious for being shoddy. They've long since upped their game.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Ailz is very fond of chicken- so we eat quite a lot of it. Personally I prefer lamb- which is odd because that was my least favourite meat when I was a kid.

[shullie.livejournal.com]

I do that - though I was also taught to put a mix of butter & herbs under the skin helps to keep the bird moist too... as well as apples and onions chopped as one of the stuffing keeps lots of moisture in the bird.

do you also lay streaky bacon across the breast too ??

[michaleen.livejournal.com]

Best of luck with the oven.

I sometimes roast one or sometimes two turkeys during the year. Some years I do not cook turkey at all and roast beef instead. It takes a little doing to get a turkey to come out moist and tender. Beginning with a good bird is a must. I drape mine with cheese cloth and baste with butter, stock and dry sherry, every 20-30 minutes or so. Unless I get a bit too drunk over the course of the afternoon, and compromise my judgement unduly, I usually receive no complaints.

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

Yes, butter and herbs I've used. The nice thing about turkey is that herbs blend so well with it. But I've never used the bacon...that sounds lovely!