Culinary News
Alternatives To The Traditional Thanksgiving Menu- The Bird & Stuffing
4th post of 5
In our fourth post we talk turkey, or at least alternatives to the traditional turkey and the different ways to prepare it. The turkey is the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving meal. Other types of birds to consider cooking are duck, goose, capon, pheasant, partridge, pullet, or cornish game hens.
Gravy, like many sauces, can boost flavor and add moisture for the meat. For alternative gravy options, try one of these:
For alternatives for the traditional sausage stuffing, you can try one of the many different varieties of sausage that range in flavor and spiciness. In some areas of the U.S., oyster stuffing is a tradition, and if you want to go that route, you can substitute clams, mussels, crab, or lobster. Also, you can make stuffing with different types of bread such as brioche, cornbread or focaccia. We listed alternatives for stuffing in our previous post, “Thanksgiving Sides” that you should consider such as Spoon Bread and Savory Bread Pudding. Here are our suggestions for alternatives for the traditional turkey (click link):
- Linguiça Stuffing– Instead of using a simple sausage for stuffing, try using Linguiça or one of the other varieties of sausage to add more flavor to the stuffing.
- Chestnut Stuffing– This is similar to a classic stuffing with the addition of chestnuts.
- Cornbread & Pancetta Stuffing– Cornbread adds a nice southern twist to stuffing and you can’t go wrong with pancetta.
- Turkey Roulade with Chanterelle Mushroom Duxelles– (pictured)- A roulade is great for smaller groups and the duxelles help keep the turkey breast meat moist. Butterfly the breast, pound it, stuff with duxelles, truss, and bake.
- Sous Vide Turkey Legs In Duck Fat– The legs are the best part of the turkey and they taste even better with duck fat.
- Foie Gras Stuffed Turkey– Tuck some foie gras or foie gras butter under the skin and in the cavity and you’re good to go. You can also add foie gras to the gravy.
- Roasted Duck with Cranberry-Orange Sauce– Try an alternative twist to duck á l’orange.
- Cornish Game Hens Stuffed With Quinoa & Kale with Sautéed Chanterelle Mushrooms- Cornish Game Hens are good for individual servings and this is great if you’re looking for something healthy and you need to get your kale and quinoa fix.
Look for our final post on the “Alternatives To The Traditional Thanksgiving Desserts” coming soon. If you missed our previous posts in this series, click on the links: