Will small frozen turkeys be in short supply this year?

You'll enjoy partridge puzzler61. We had them last weekend. Unstuffed they only take about 20 - 30 minutes in the oven, they are lovely, only just slightly gamey little birds.

I have ordered a 3 gamebird roast from M&S for us, as we will just be our two selves on Christmas day.

Very little meat on a goose, isn’t there? So much fat, the kitchen was full of blue smoke and very dangerous when pouring it off.
I’m sure I read somewhere that small turkeys aren’t a good buy as the skeleton is the same size as a bigger one, but without the bird having put on much weight, so you’re really paying more for the bones. Does that make sense?

Some kind of takeaway for me hopefully, possibly Indian! If I can't have my normal Christmas, I'm not going to cook anything!

PECS

I have done what I have done in the previous two years: ordered a complete Christmas meal from the shop called Cook..except for sprouts.. I will do those fresh as don't think they freeze well!

I'd never heard of 'Cook' but apparently we have a branch nearby so am going to have a look at their website and give it some consideration. I will be working a long day on Christmas Eve, if I can make life easier for myself on Christmas Day I will.

My sister & I have decided to go rogue this year and do a beef joint for Xmas Day. Can do it in the slow cooker so no need to keep checking & basting all day.

Cook are very good indeed. I have their meals quite often and am lucky where I live to get free home delivery if I spend £40.

For Christmas I am ordering free range goose breast. £20 with enough for 3. Just the 2 of us and fancied trying goose for a change without all the fat. May get turkey breast from same place to have cold on Boxing Day with bubble and squeak and home made pickles.

We had beef last year for 6 of us, DH and GS wanted turkey, but were outvoted.
So just a normal Sunday dinner really.
Can’t get worked up about what to have.

A few years ago, all of us were poorly at Christmas. I had been ill a couple of days before, but perked up by the great day.

The fresh turkey was put in the freezer, DH in bed all day, only had Lucozade, no idea what DS and family had at their home.

I had some bacon and fried eggs while watching Wallace and Gromit, South Pacific and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.

A self indulgent day on my own, didn’t miss the big dinner at all.

We are not doing a traditional Christmas Dinner this year as moving house at some point in the next two months. So I thought we could donate a Christmas Dinner to a family in need. Turkeys would be too big for a family of four, so thought about a large chicken.

I think you would have been disappointed with a 3 kg turkey. We had one a few years ago (only 2 of us).
It was all bone and no meat. Far better with a crown. Enjoy!!!

We’re in Tier 3 here in Liverpool and DD,SIL and GC are in Scotland, so it’ll just be us two.
Last night I pre ordered a large, free range, stuffed and bacon latticed chicken and some stuffing baubles (I like stuffing better than anything!) from Sainsbury’s. Collection is 23rd December, so I hope they don’t let me down!
I did hear potatoes may be in short supply, so I’ll do the par boil and freeze trick that I usually do the week before Christmas, which makes them extra crispy, cooked from frozen, but I’ll do it next week, to be on the safe side!
It seems reading other posts, that most of us will be either alone or just couples this year. Such strange times.

Lucky us...DH won our xmas turkey at golf again this year. Just before xmas you collect which ever one you want so I’ll Be there early to get a smallIsh one this year. Fingers crossed hell win the hamper again too. I love the idea of partridge though. Never tried it but would like to some time.

I have ordered a turkey crown from Waitrose to serve 9. We have no idea how many we will be, but a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 7 - leftovers can be frozen.

Think I mentioned on the good morning thread a couple of weeks ago that the tesco delivery man told me to order the turkey early this year. Didn't think it necessary at the time but he may have been right. Not the end of the world, I think the family prefer roast beef or chicken to be honest!

They did say a couple of months ago that turkeys might be in short supply due to an increased demand as people will possibly be able to meet in family groups.
It's a chance to try something else less traditional maybe like a goose or duck or even salmon for a change.
We do click and collect and I have found it annoying to not have my ordered hot chocolate and chocolate biscuits delivered because they were out of stock!

I’m still hoping at the back of my mind that there will be some relaxation of restrictions. If not I shan’t care about food. For me it’s all about family. I shall behave in the same way as every year. Presents will be bought in advance but I shan’t think about food until mid December. I’ll book a delivery slot for the basic groceries and pick up the extras at the shops.

Or maybe try something that isn’t a dead bird? I’ve always found it ironic that people celebrate birth by enjoying death. Weird.

My friend works for a butcher, so already have two turkey breasts in the freezer, DD can have one if we can’t be together. Also got the sausage meat to make stuffing, my dear Dad’s secret recipe and the makings for the pigs, DG usually helps with them Christmas Eve. I’ve stored some potatoes grown this year, swede and parsnips hopefully to be lifted. If we deliver a ‘food parcel’ to DD and DS just before the day, so be it, he’s in her bubble, so image they’ll be together.

ONLY good thing I can think of that is a nice thought about Christmas as I doubt we will be able to see family is that I will not have to cook a huge turkey & we can have something we prefer such as duck or goose!!

I saw small frozen turkeys in my local (not huge) Asda the other day.

I once bought one when we were going to friends for Christmas, and I knew we wouldn’t be getting a Proper Christmas Dinner. Cooked it on about the 29th just for me and dh - loads of leftovers and plenty in meal-sized packets in the freezer.
To me it’s not Christmas (or Christmas week) without turkey and leftovers.

Funny I was just thinking I hadn’t managed to get a cauliflower for weeks too....

If your are in doubt about supply and demand lots of the Supermarkets are selling Frozen turkeys now at very good prices. Buy now and save disappointment and worry about demand .nearer Christmas.

....overall aren't we fortunate that we can afford to put food on the table, personally I am just truly thankful for that and don't care if I have a turkey or a tin of beans for Christmas

There will only be two of us for Christmas Day. I don't bother buying a turkey - but I usually buy an Organic Corn Fed Chicken instead.

I find that a chicken has more meat per carcase than a turkey does, so I prefer to buy a better quality chicken than an average quality small turkey.

Popped back in with a story about an enormous frozen turkey DD1 got from her employer one Christmas Eve. We didn’t need it, as we were already well prepared for The Day, but it was too big for the space available in the freezer.
DH put it in his Black and Decker workbench and with an electric saw attachment sawed it in half lengthways!! We wrapped the 2 pieces up - half a breast and a leg on each and had one for Easter and one at Thanksgiving. It was a bit messy, bits of frozen turkey flying around everywhere!

I think the 'small' tesco turkey would have still been too big anyway then Merlotgran- but as your so au faix with pheasant,duck etc. then that might have been a good alternative for you-or the tesco 'complete christmas lunch for two'??