Source of small turkeys, for Christmas

[Jimk]

Shops.

[Broadback]

As heading

[Andrew]

Brexit party and their supporters, about to elect a Marxist government ?

[Broadback]

What rubbish Andrew, that is a very large turkey!

[David]

Just get a turkey crown?

Unless you like all the messing around with legs and wings and stuff.

Cheers

Dave R

[Brian Reay]

Senior Management cooks a Xmas meal (somewhat before Xmas) most years for a group typically of 20/25 (a Brownie Camp) and she generally buys Turkey Crowns as most people prefer the 'white meat' and it is easier to get consistent results when cooking several. She get them from Tesco. I've never tried them but she tells me it is hard to tell the difference between the quality and the M&S Turkey we generally order each year or the Free range bird we sometimes get from a local butcher.

The only down side is, if like me, you like to us the carcase to make stock for making soup etc later, then the wings and legs contribute a lot of the 'good bits'.

Duck is another option. Cook it breast side down, it helps remove the fat. Save the fat for cooking the roast potatoes. Ideal for a small group but you'd need a couple for a family.

I like Goose but I've never cooked one. I really must have a go at it.

[David]

Goose seems to be mainly fat (much like duck) so has a massive amount of shrinkage. Nice fat for spuds etc. though.

Probably lamb or beef this year.

Cheers

Dave R

[newshound]

I've never used crowns before but, following the same suggestion in (I think) the Guardian in the past couple of weeks, I was certainly thinking about doing that this year. Only cooking for three this year, but I'd get a big one as there will be visitors on other days.

Talking of free range, a few years ago someone persuaded me to get a supposedly special and definitely expensive one from a farmer acquaintance. In my last minute shopping, the supermarket were selling off "no claims" frozen ones relatively cheaply so I decided to grab one as well. (Lots of kids at home at the time). When I came to cook it at New Year, everyone who had sampled both agreed that the frozen one was much better.

[Brian Reay]

I've eaten Goose and the fat isn't obvious. I assume due to the cooking method. I've cooked whole duck several times and duck leg or breast is a regular meal. Again, if you cook it correctly, you shouldn't eat a lot of the fat which is one of the healthy ones.

[Max Demian]

Get a chicken.

Or a turkey 'joint' in a foil tray. Avoid all the hassle and bones.

[ARW]

Bloody hell that is brave, pass on my regards. I'll pass that suggestion on to the gf for the Beavers for next year and see if my balls get kicked into orbit.

Could be done with an overnight camp (indoors camping at two local places)

A Tinsel & Turkey weekend break for the 6 to 8 year olds.

[alan_m]

Last year friends of mine ordered a fresh small turkey straight from the local farm. It didn't fit in the oven when it turned up and had to be butchered in order to cook it in bits.

[Steve Walker]

A relative in Ireland was given a turkey by a friend. It weighed 28 pounds.

SteveW

[Muddymike]

That's what we do in years when its just the two of us.

Mike

[Brian Reay]

Ye Gods....

We normally get one around 14 / 15 lb and always think it is too big. However, by the time we set aside portions for curries, stir fries, sandwiches, cold with pickles and roast potatoes(on Boxing Day- a tradition in our family), soup, ... it soon goes.

I found an interesting recipe to serve it in Chinese pancakes which is a very close copy of the duck version.

[polygonum_on_google]

Might be too late for you now, but we get half a turkey. Cut front to back.

Easy to cook and, obviously, half the size of the bird it came from.

The trouble with a crown is that you don't get anything but white. And turkey soup just doesn't work.

I really don't understand why more butchers don't offer them as standard.

[spuorgelgoog]

When I were a lad, Bernard Matthews Turkey Breast Roast was considered ideal for the smaller family (we were 3).

All turkey, no bones, easy to carve hot and slice cold for sandwiches. Probably competitively priced against chicken too, which I think was still regarded as quite expensive.

Bootiful.

Owain

[polygonum_on_google]

As BM was supposed to have said in the original TV advert, Norfolk and good. (Say it right to get the meaning.)

Probably good value but we would rather have half a bird.