It's about 360 days before I need to make a decision on this one....

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

We've always had turkey for Christmas. I think I cook it quite well and I enjoy using up the leftovers, but to be honest what we all like best is the other bits of the meal. I'm toying with the idea that next year we might try something else. 4-6 people likely to be present. I've got this far in my thinking:

1. Pork is out because my husband doesn't like it.
   
2. Any meat that has to be very pink to be at its best is also out, for the same reason. This rules out proper roast beef, I would say.
   
3. There is the possibility of a pot roast or braised dish (beef or lamb), which we would all enjoy, but might not feel all that special, as I do that kind of thing fairly often anyway.
   
4. Roast duck is out as none of us are all that keen on it.
   
5. I don't like the idea of goose, somehow. It's because I've always heard it's a very fatty meat.
   
6. A big chicken doesn't feel special enough.
   
7. A turkey crown would mean we wouldn't have any of the lovely dark flavoursome moist meat which I really enjoy (although admittedly the rest of the family don't).
   
8. My daughter has suggested venison, and this seems like it might be a goer. It's not a meat we have often and it would go with the traditional Christmas veg.
   

So - does anybody have any ideas I could consider for next Christmas? Or is it too soon and nobody wants to think about cooking just yet?

Thanks in advance! Will probably be off to bed shortly to nurse my cold so may not be able to respond till tomorrow.

[Highlove]

Swap your husband for a less fussy one?

Goose is delicious. It is fatty in that a lot of fat comes out during cooking, but it's really delicious and doesn't taste/feel fatty to eat.

Roast venison is supposed to be served pink or it tends to be quite dry. So that might rule it out for your DH?

What about one of those bird in a bird in a bird thingies?

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

After 35 years, that might be a bit drastic! He's wonderful in all other ways, so I can put up with a bit of fussiness.

He thinks he can cope with a little bit of pink in the middle of a joint, so venison is probably a goer, and so (perhaps) is beef. He wouldn't go for anything that was still bloody, and judging by Masterchef that's how a real gourmet would serve duck.

I'll consider the goose further. Thanks!

[Artandco]

Pheasant?

[Chewbecca]

this 7 hour lamb is special, but, like the PP, I would also suggest a 3 bird roast.

[Sugarandsalt]

I'd definitely reconsider goose. You collect a lot of fat during cooking (which can then be used in making roast potatoes and veg) but the meat itself is moist with a lovely flavour (much nicer than turkey in my opinion).

Venison should be pink also really.

A traditional meat in some parts of Ireland is spiced beef which I think of more as for sandwiches around Christmas but I know some people do it as a main. It is delicious.

Would you consider fish instead perhaps?

[Mummyreindeerlegz]

Capon?

[Chewbecca]

(I do find goose greasy on the eating too I'm afraid & leftovers are supremely greasy!)

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

Thanks all, I'm thinking (rather sadly) that goose is out. I'm fairly sure I would like it but I suspect I'd be alone, given that the rest of the family much prefer the breast meat on turkey to the dark meat. (I like both.)

Capon is worth considering, thank you. Seven hour lamb sounds right up our street and is the kind of thing I'd been wondering about anyway. So does spiced beef. Not sure about pheasant. I've cooked it (and indeed eaten it) so rarely that I'm not confident about doing it well, and I always fear finding pellets of shot in it.

Fish, no, because in my view it doesn't go with sprouts, stuffing, parsnips etc etc. We did have a phase back in the early 90s when my (genuinely) dear husband wasn't eating meat but would eat fish and we had salmon for Christmas dinner. No gravy! Wrong, very wrong.

Three bird roasts - are they good, then? That does sound like a showstopper but I want it to taste great as well.

[DeepAndCrispAndEvenTheWind]

Quail?

[bookbook]

I came on to suggest slow lamb - this warm shredded lamb is an absolute winner - its a big favourite
HERE

[lougle]

Does your DH say why he doesn't like pork? If it's because it tends to be a bit bland and 'samey', suckling pig is absolutely beautiful. It's really tender and tasty.

Goose will be fatty, but not excessively so. Duck doesn't have to be cooked pink to be tasty, but it doesn't go far so you'd need a couple of ducks to serve 6 comfortably.

Lamb could be nice. Beef is lovely and you could time it so that the ends are well done for your DH but the middle is rarer for those that like it?

[ThisIsSylviaDaisyPouncer]

I had goose this year and it was delicious. I am also a white meat person, in fact I wouldn't touch leg meat etc from turkey by choice and chose goose precisely because I hate having to use up the dark meat from a turkey. I cooked the goose by using a roasting tin with an insert inside so the goose fat dripped away from the bird. I didn't find the finished goose any more fatty than roast duck.

The year before I did turkey but also beef wellington... mega expensive but also really great, I would definitely cook that again.