Goose versus turkey
In defence of the turkey
Do you brine your turkey before roasting? Cook it upside down, perhaps, or maybe even lay it on a bed of buttered ciabatta? Regardless of the method, dissecting secret family recipes, swapping theories and comparing results are all part of the traditions surrounding roast turkey: the nation’s best-loved Christmas dinner. Turkey’s position as the pre-eminent festive fowl is well deserved. It is served at Christmas tables across the land, including that of the Royal Family. At Sandringham, it is said everyone from the monarch to the staff enjoys turkey with the traditional stuffings, parsnips and, of course, Brussels sprouts. And, dare I say, this is where turkey sometimes falls victim to an illogical, snobby disdain displayed by some for anything hugely popular.
Henry VIII was the first monarch to put turkey on the Christmas menu. He was, as we know, someone who didn’t give a fig about what most people thought. However, there was nothing commonplace about turkeys back then. They only arrived from the New World in the mid-16th century, and remained a rarity on menus until the Victorian era. One of the turkey’s great attributes is that a single bird can feed a large number of people relatively inexpensively, and this certainly appealed to the Victorians, with their big families. Turkey’s huge rise in popularity in the 19th century also made an impact on culinary language. We have the Victorians to thank for words such as ‘drumstick’ and the use of ‘white’ and ‘dark’ to describe meat. All were invented to avoid anything as scandalous as having to utter the words ‘breast’ or ‘lower leg’ in public.
Whether you’re a breast or leg lover, turkey has sufficient meat for everyone. It is also one of the healthiest meats, being extremely lean but also rich in protein, with just enough fat for a deliciously crispy skin. Fast-twitch muscle is something more usually associated with Olympic sprinters than fowl, but turkeys are surprisingly athletic. In the wild, they are said to be able to fly short distances at speeds up to 50mph. On land, they’ve been recorded whizzing along at 12mph, and they are also very effective swimmers.
Domesticated turkeys have been selectively bred and their top-heavy appearance might put paid to this kind of avian triathlon. Nonetheless, in the 19th century, birds from East Anglia would undertake a threemonth walk to London to be sold fresh for Christmas. There are descriptions of turkeys wearing little boots to shield their feet, although in all likelihood the drovers covered them in sacking or tar for protection.
From Dickens and Dafoe to Mr Bean and The Vicar of Dibley, turkey is an indispensable part of British Christmas culture. As are the turkey leftovers. For many, Boxing Day just wouldn’t feel so festive without turkey sandwiches or a turkey curry. One of the criticisms commonly levelled at turkey is that it can be dry. The same can be said of any roast. Haven’t we all spent a small fortune at the butcher for the best cut of beef, followed the cooking instructions painstakingly and it has still ended up as tough as leather? And this is the beauty of turkey: should it be a little dry, nobody will notice amid the bread sauce, pigs in blankets, stuffing and cranberry sauce. Delicious.
Roast turkey’s position as the preeminent festive fowl is well deserved