Disappointed With Turkey

Well, we've never had a lousy turkey dinner, but I guess as with any meat, (luck of the draw someone said) you might get something that wasn't as tasty as other times? That can happen with beef and pork for instance. Did someone mention a tasty pork recipe, "stuffed with herbs, thyme, sage, rosemary and fennel"? Well, yes, what did the pork itself taste like?! And re Salmon, no probs with that. IF you can get the authentic 'wild' variety, it's so much better than the 'farmed' version!

I asked my daughter about cockerel and she said it was like a chicken but bigger and tastier.
She lives quite a way from me and we have a supermarket called Booths only found in the North of England but they do have speciality foods. I recall she asked me one year to get her 2 pheasants. They looked like very small chickens but each one plenty for one person.
Thankyou for all your replies. I've enjoyed reading them all and getting plenty of ideas. I'm still thinking of a nice piece of fresh salmon but that could all change by next Christmas...lol

We had cockeral boxing day it was deliclious

I really love Turkey, but hubby not a fan, so usually a chicken AND beef so leftovers for mash and pickles.

(Turkey(or crown) works really better if stuffed with a great stuffing and sausagemeat, and with streaky bacon on the top. Foil until last half hour then open)

We bought a very expensive turkey crown from M and S. It was tasteless tough and dry. Never again.

We had beef rib from marks and Spencer’s and it was absolutely excellent. I bought pork and turkey too and will have those soon. But it’s not worth having turkey if you don’t enjoy it.

RosiesMaw

mokryna

I have bought organic capon for very many years. It’s a lot tastier. More expensive it may be but I only buy it once a year.
I cook it upside down in tin foil, covered in bacon, until the last 30 mins when I upright it to brown without the foil.

It is many years since capons (castrated cockerels) were available here. Am I right in thinking you are in France?
Caponisation is illegal in the UK but still widely practiced in mainland Europe. Essentially it is a process which can be physical or with hormones, which neuters the cockerel allowing the bird to become plump for the table. We do not caponise our Cockerels.

Sorry if I have upset anyone, I didn’t know it was illegal in the UK.
Vets do it to other livestock and pets.

Jaxjacky that's one of the different meats my daughter has had. I will ask her how it was and how she cooked it.

VioletSky

Turkey in recent years has had too much of a fishy taste for me

I've noticed that, too.

The turkeys might have been fed on fish-meal, so I've been told.

An interesting thread, I’m now researching locally, planning to buy a cockerel next year for Christmas lunch

I bought a halal chicken. Very tasty.

mokryna

I have bought organic capon for very many years. It’s a lot tastier. More expensive it may be but I only buy it once a year.
I cook it upside down in tin foil, covered in bacon, until the last 30 mins when I upright it to brown without the foil.

It is many years since capons (castrated cockerels) were available here. Am I right in thinking you are in France?
Caponisation is illegal in the UK but still widely practiced in mainland Europe. Essentially it is a process which can be physical or with hormones, which neuters the cockerel allowing the bird to become plump for the table. We do not caponise our Cockerels.

My husband unknown time got a huge Turkey even though he knows I don’t like it it and I didn’t want ti cook one after 45years of doing it I wanted beef for a change or a smaller crown for2-3n
Not 15-17 as Turkey said I. Ended cooking it he is so thoughtless and to end it all spilt Turkey fat on the Kitchen floor and didn’t even clean it up yes he is thoughtless
5

For the last few years, we have had a 'rib of beef' from Aldi and this is a really good flavoured joint. They are about 2- 2.5 kg weight - they only have these at Christmas and Easter. For New Year's day we have a 'three bird roast' also from Aldi

DD bought a Hammer of Thor from Tesco's - it was a very tasty beef joint and made a great ragu the next day. I think it is available only at Christmas though as I can't see it on the website now.

My granny who lived in Orkney used to post us a fresh free range boiling fowl which had an onion inside it to keep it fresh.!! It always arrived on time to Clackmannanshire and we never got food poisoning either. Was the postal service more reliable then?

I have bought organic capon for very many years. It’s a lot tastier. More expensive it may be but I only buy it once a year.
I cook it upside down in tin foil, covered in bacon, until the last 30 mins when I upright it to brown without the foil.

We had a whole leg of lamb to thaw for boxing day though- but as alraidy said it doesnt make up for a special meal you've waited all year for- and though ive been offered shop vouchers ive not had them emailed yet.😠

Got fresh turkey but it had gone off by christmas with a 26th use by date 😢😡🤬

None of us like turkey so we had two organic chickens from our excellent local butcher, which were delicious. Nannyknee where was your turkey from? What a shame you found it
inedible. A refund is all very well but doesn’t compensate for a rubbish Christmas dinner.

Bah humbug to those who think it's a glorified Sunday dinner.
It's a special day in our calendar. How many people really splash out on Sunday lunch. Not like we did anyway, the turkey crown was delicious, moist and flavourful. Ham very tasty. Trimmings plentiful and stuffing amazing. All cooked, for 6, by my talented Son in law. Roll on next Christmas.

Bought our turkey crown from our local butchers
It was beautiful

I never have understood the fascination for turkey at Christmas other than it can feed a large number. For me Chhristmas is about Santa not Christ's birth. I have a friend whose partner is a professor of theology and within tgat circle there is the theory Jesus did not want people to think if his birth but why he died. A
Then there is the pagan theory that eating a lot, using winter reserves after the shortest day, is to celebrate the forthcoming planting growing seasons. Food for thought

I did goose one year but was pretty expensive and I found it difficult to carve but very tasty. When there were more of us I often did a turkey crown along with duck breasts. I haven't cooked this year but I'm always a fan of duck! This year I'm abroad and we went out to a local carvery. I had lamb and turkey but my daughter had turkey and beef wellington.

We had a turkey crown from Sainsbury's too DanniRae and it was delicious. I always do a gammon too