Need a surrogate bird for Thanksgiving? Roast duck with baked vegetables is an alternative to turkey. (grinchh/Adobe Stock)
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ATLANTA — If you’re feeling unsettled by recent reports of rising turkey prices, don’t panic. There is no need to stockpile turkeys.
“We see no shortage of offerings,” said Ben Del Coro, vice president of sales and marketing at Fossil Farms, a New Jersey-based provider of sustainable and all-natural home-raised meat and game.
Unlike last holiday season, when supply chain and labor issues resulted in shortages of ingredients, there should be enough frozen turkeys to run around on Thanksgiving. However, the outbreak of bird flu and the impact of inflation on fuel, feed and labor costs have contributed to higher prices for turkeys.
Whole frozen turkey prices have increased from $1.15 per pound at this point in 2021 to $1.47 per pound for the week of October 28th through November. 3, according to the US Department of Agriculture. While that’s an increase of nearly 28% per pound, “the total cost is consistent with what everyone has experienced all year” in terms of food prices and inflation, Del Coro said. In fact, the cost of all turkey parts has increased across the board, including fresh and frozen bone-in breasts, drumsticks and ground beef.
If such prices seem affordable, they won’t be the last you’ll see in the butcher’s case. As Del Coro explained, the USDA’s weekly price report shows wholesale prices for standard birds — not free-range, organic, or other so-called premium descriptors. Distributors and retailers add markup costs before the turkey gets into your cart.
For those who had planned to cook up the traditional turkey for Thanksgiving, this year might be the time to try something different. “Buying trends have shifted,” Del Coro said. “For the past two years, people have been eating at home and hosting smaller gatherings,” while restaurants and hotels have retreated from serving large Thanksgiving feasts.
With more opportunities to eat out on Thanksgiving, there is “an increased demand for the same offering,” he said. “Now wholesale is coming back, but retail demand is still there.” While home cooks can probably find any frozen turkey on the market, the size and price may not be ideal.
If you’re feeling adventurous or considering giving up serving turkey this year, here are some alternatives for the Thanksgiving meal.
Try a different bird or a different piece of meat
“Personally, I understand that Thanksgiving is all about tradition, but it’s okay to have fun with tradition,” Del Coro said. His Thanksgiving dinner often includes foods that were more commonly eaten in pre-industrial North America.
For example, venison used to be a common staple of the American diet, he said. “Game was certainly part of the original Thanksgiving meal and is seasonally appropriate,” with cuts resembling a roast beef or steaks that can be prepared with seasonal accompaniments.
If you want to stay on the poultry topic, Del Coro recommends guinea fowl, pheasants and ducks as surrogate birds, which are “more readily available and less expensive than turkey,” he said. Try a whole roast duck with balsamic glaze for a crispy, juicy skin, a guinea fowl marinated in rosemary or a roast pheasant with cornbread filling.
Personally, I understand that Thanksgiving is all about tradition, but it’s okay to enjoy tradition.
-Del Coro
Or for a more turkey-like experience, Del Coro suggests Poussin, a young chicken that weighs around 1 to 1½ pounds and is popular in the UK. Each poussin can be individually stuffed, he said, and “everyone can get their own little mini turkey roast on their plate.”
Decolonize your menu
With turkey being just one element of the many colonial myths and stereotypes surrounding the Thanksgiving holiday, this can be an opportunity to overhaul the menu to honor Native Americans.
The Thanksgiving decolonization movement focuses on acknowledging historical racism and violence against Native Americans, rather than continuing the narrative of “Pilgrims and Indians” and celebrating the enduring cultural contributions of these tribes. Creating a decolonized menu can focus on more foods traditionally prepared and served by Native Americans.
Some of the ingredients we refer to as “traditional” Thanksgiving food — squash, including pumpkins, corn, wild rice, and root vegetables like sweet potatoes and beets — are also traditional Indigenous ingredients, so a decolonized menu can bring some prominence to these dishes.
You can also add foods that are commonly prepared by tribes in the region you live in. In the Pacific Northwest, that may be salmon and berries; In the Southwest, you can try making homemade tamales.
Go plant-based
No, focusing on plant-based Thanksgiving doesn’t mean you have to serve tofurky.
“I’ve done a lot of polls with my friends and family about the most popular Thanksgiving dishes,” said Jules Aron, board-certified holistic nutrition coach and author of “Nourish and Glow: Naturally Beautifying Foods and Elixirs.”
More often than not, she noted, people choose a side as their best Thanksgiving meal — “and most of the sides are already plant-based.” This makes Thanksgiving a natural time to bring more plant-based dishes to the table, when one already has a leaning towards There is tasting and sharing. And if your favorite side dish recipe isn’t vegetarian, it’s not the end of the world.
“People get scared when they think of plant-based recipes,” Aron said, for fear they’d have to substitute a dish multiple times or find unusual substitute ingredients. “If your side dishes aren’t already plant-based, you can usually make a very simple change,” e.g. B. Replace chicken broth with vegetable broth or use mushrooms instead of bacon.
Aron recommends simple plant-based dishes that emphasize seasonal vegetables for two reasons: Vegetables add color to a menu that’s often dominated by brown and beige ingredients, and “when you buy seasonally, the prices are lower.”
One of her favorite Thanksgiving side dishes is rosemary maple roasted vegetables, which can include a mix of root vegetables like purple potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, and carrots — or whatever your family’s favorite. “It’s not difficult to throw them on a sheet pan and fry them,” Aron said.
She also suggests showing off with a whole roasted cauliflower as the plant-based centerpiece. To add another pop of bright color to the table, “go the extra mile and find a purple one”. Cauliflower is a blank slate for picking up flavors, so for Thanksgiving, Aron recommends pairing creamy tahini sauce with seasonal cranberries and candied pecans.
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