The non turkey thanksgiving thread turkey haters only

Turkey is overrated. Turkey is so overrated when it comes to eating the flesh of birds I would rather eat a chicken, duck, goose, pheasant, partridge, grouse or quail before considering a turkey. It’s done. It’s been done.

I have eaten all sorts of turkeys. From wild to fancy European turkeys. Meh.

This year I will be eating little bunny foo foo instead.

I am brining said bunny in a buttermilk / herb / spice mix.
I’m thinking tomorrow I will cook little bunbun with the rabbit stock I made and some vermouth. Toss mr floppy no ears around in some flour. Throw in some charred lemon, leeks, onion/shallot and herbs.

Im then going to place the delicious little critter on some spatzle I will make tomorrow morn and a delicate cream sauce from the juices.

Spiced roast harissa sumac glazed whole carrots and delicious peas. Maybe some braised red cabbage.

Please tell me someone else out there aint cooking turkey for thanksgiving. This mass delusion has to
Stop. Turkey is not the only answer. Free will!

a reply to: TheAlleghenyGentleman

My whole childhood I pretty much agreed with you.
Year after year of eating something I could easily compare to a desert... No... Not dessert...desert...

It was like eating shoe strings...
That and the cranberry goop that retained the shape and taste of the can...
Fortunately my gramma always made beef and noodles too.

But...
I've taken on an interest in cooking since my early twenties and have righted the wrongs of my childhood.

I brine the turkey and cook it properly so it's a masterpiece of non foul fowl.
Fresh cranberry sauce has also made the cut.

That being said....
I still make a nice ham for my nephew who agrees with your take on turkey... I'm not a monster.

a reply to: Bluntone22

I’m just super bored of it. I say fry that turkey. Christmas I’m making a goose or elk roast. Something interesting.

a reply to: TheAlleghenyGentleman

Unless turkey is done extremely well, I agree its overrated. And generally, it's not done well.

Last year I did a lightly smoked and roasted duck along with pork belly burnt ends. Duck instead of turkey, the burnt ends instead of ham.

It's went over quite well.

a reply to: TheAlleghenyGentleman

I'm cool with breaking tradition and making new ones..

I've also replaced nasty store bought egg nog with home made and fruitcake was a sin of culinary monstrosity but I have since corrected that.

a reply to: TheAlleghenyGentleman

Unless it's some kind of an optical illusion, that is positively the most gargantuan rabbit I have ever seen in my entire life!!!

Holy COW!

Do you live near a nuclear reactor or something????

a reply to: TheAlleghenyGentleman

Honestly, I could take it or leave it. I have to convince myself to like it each year, and it's only once a year (we do prime rib on Christmas). I think about every year, at some point, I say to myself or to my wife..."Maybe this year we'll do something different for Thanksgiving"

I don't think I'm in the 'turkey hater' group, but turkey isn't at the top of my list either. As with most cooking, I actually look forward to the cooking process more than I do the end product. I think the ceremony of the whole turkey day thing is fun. And, I do make a pretty mean turkey, if I do say so myself (everyone else seems to agree).

a reply to: Bluntone22

...the cranberry goop that retained the shape and taste of the can... Fresh cranberry sauce has also made the cut.

Me too!!!

I thought that crap that came from a can was the most disgusting thing on earth and I couldn't even let it near my plate! But at some point my son had cranberry sauce at a friend's house and loved it, so I agreed to try to make some from scratch. And oh my lordy I've never looked back! My son was even shocked because he said it was better than the first cranberry sauce he'd tasted and liked so much. Anyway, I have now spoiled my son for any other cranberry sauce. Just like I spoiled my daughter for any other stuffing.

For anyone wondering, the crap that comes out of a can is in no way, shape or form comparable to fresh made cranberry sauce. It's worth a try...

ETA: Homemade cranberry sauce is also ridiculously easy to make! It's also kinda fun when the berries start popping

a reply to: Boadicea

I make mine with ginger ale and some orange zest....yowza!

a reply to: Boadicea

Ah, but only the kind from a can works on turkey sammiches! The real stuff is too tart and overruns the sammich.

So you've got to kinda' have both available.

My wife makes a wicked cranberry sauce from scratch! MMMMMMmmmmmmm! Can't wait for some of that!!

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

It’s just a large fryer. Not even a roaster. It’s one of them free range rabbits don’t ya know. Lol

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: Boadicea

I make mine with ginger ale and some orange zest....yowza!

Yes! Well, I use ground ginger and orange zest, but yes!!! Just a smidge of cinnamon and cloves as well. Not much at all. I like just that hint of spice. Too much would take over the tang of the cranberries and orange zest.

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
a reply to: Boadicea

Ah, but only the kind from a can works on turkey sammiches! The real stuff is too tart and overruns the sammich.

So you've got to kinda' have both available.

You've got a good point there! That would be more practical. My dad and brothers all love a good turkey sandwich with cranberry sauce. They like stuffing on it too though... that just strikes me as weird!

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Even a nice leg of lamb would be better. Goose is a lot of fun to cook. You should cook that. It is best to steam it first to help render the fat. Goose is top notch. Way harder to cook right than a turkey. Skillz

a reply to: TheAlleghenyGentleman

I didn't even think about a farm raised rabbit, duh!

I was thinking that was a wild cottontail, and that it must have been darn near a world record!

a reply to: TheAlleghenyGentleman

Love me some leg of lamb, but the bride doesn't care for lamb so much. Heck, I'll even eat mutton. Mutton curry is awesome.

I've cooked more geese than I care to think about. I love goose too. In fact, we even talked about doing a goose instead of a turkey just a couple weeks ago, but elected to go with the turkey primarily based on the fact I don't have any geese at the moment.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I’m living in farm country in the catskills in NY in delaware county. I can get amazing dairy, cow, goat, lamb, chicken, pork.

But of course. The U.S. hates a rabbit. Im still searching for that rabbit farm. Someone has to have one up here.

originally posted by: TheAlleghenyGentleman
Even a nice leg of lamb would be better. Goose is a lot of fun to cook. You should cook that. It is best to steam it first to help render the fat. Goose is top notch. Way harder to cook right than a turkey. Skillz

I usually make that for Christmas, that or a prime rib roast.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Here are two links for when you have to slum it and can’t find wild raised.

Dartagnan

Fossil

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

I have seen no documented evidence of that.