I’ve been vetoed- family insist on chicken not turkey

[CoolShoeshine]

I like turkey for Christmas lunch, basically because it’s traditional and I don’t have it any other day of the year. However my cooking can be a bit hit or miss and sometimes it can be a bit dry.
My son is a fussy eater but this year has started to like chicken. Also my daughter prefers chicken. I was originally loathe to consider chicken as we have it most weeks but with both kids asking for it, it makes sense to have chicken, plus I’m not a great cook but you can’t go far wrong with a chicken. Any tips for how to make chicken more special? Should I get one from a farm shop rather than supermarket? Is it possible to get a big one with lots of leftovers for the following days (the supermarket ones tend to be pretty tichy). Thanks 😊

Buy yourself a few slices of cooked Turkey from the deli counter

Get a really nice one from the butchers and make or buy a posh gravy. We never have turkey, we usually do chicken and beef so there are leftovers for Boxing Day.

Get a capon..bigger than a normal chicken and tastier as well.

Goose is harder to ruin by making it dry, is special like Turkey and delicious like chicken. Go for it.

Ask your butcher (if you have one) if they can get you a decent size free range chicken. Of course you could buy two if you want extras and cook them at the same time.

Just do all the extra bits that usually go with the turkey - they will go just as well with a chicken, and it’s really the sides that make a Christmas dinner special.

We do chicken, pork and buy some sliced beef from the deli.

Turkeys is always so bland, I'm good cook But its just... meh

I would get a big, organic, corn fed chicken from the butchers.

I would either get a large one from a butcher or two small ones and do different flavourings to each.

No reason you can't stuff and put bacon on a chicken. Personally I would prefer chicken to turkey.

And I would roast two chickens - that way you will have plenty of leftovers.

A free range, organic, corn fed chicken is SO much nicer than a £5 job from Tesco. You could stuff it with a sausage meat stuffing or cook a sausage meat stuffing separately and put lemons and thyme in the cavity instead. Make a white wine gravy from the juices. Beautiful!

@Gatekeeper you have just inspired me to buy a capon for Christmas, none of us are that keen on turkey but we are really looking forwards to this.

just looked up "capon" which id never heard of - turns out they're illegal in the uk as the production process for them is rather barbaric.... 😱

I'd go for a really good free range chicken. My favourite cooking technique is beer canning - it looks pretty funny in the oven too!

Guinea fowl is another really good option. Tastes like a really nice chicken.

So many quick replies, thank you! I need to google capons, literally never heard of them! Perhaps an option for next year? I feel that a decent organic chicken from a butcher is the way forward this year! Need to get in with a local butcher! Looking forward to it now!

Corn fed, welfare chicken. So much tastier, gives off more fat, just far superior. I may do this myself if it ends up just being us.

Maybe guinea fowl not capon next year then

I never get turkey. Chicken is far nicer. So we always do chicken and beef. And just all the usual trimmings.

Turkey is so overrated. The last three years I've got a turkey from a fantastic local butcher, DM and I cooked it to perfection after a lot of research. It was the juiciest we've ever managed, but it was still so "meh". After the last time I realised, I just. Don't. Like. Turkey.

So I would be 100% behind chicken-gate. You could get a turkey leg for yourself and roast it along with the chicken. Do a ham as well, and use the ham water for boiling the sprouts

I’ve never liked turkey and only ever get it if I have to feed my dd. Everyone else prefers chicken or beef. So just go for whatever animal you want!!

My recommendation would be for two corn fed, organic, normal sized chickens. I find smaller chickens taste better than big ones, but that might just be me.

I cook mine backwards: hot oven to brown it for the first 20 minutes then add a half cup of boiling water, cover it and turn the heat down to medium for an hour (pole with thermometer and cook for a few more minutes if needed). Rest for 20 minutes and it will be tender and succulent.

If you stuff the birds, push a metal skewer in until it hits bone so it cooks through the middle.

You can add flavoured butter on the breast, under the skin if you like (garlic or lemon work well) but sometimes dc don’t appreciate new flavours.

@Gatekeeper I thought caponisation was illegal in the UK?

TBH we have random buffet of everyone's favourites... no roast involved!

Can you not just get a turkey and tell them it’s chicken? When we cook a roast beef dinner, my kids will only eat it if they think it’s “brown chicken”, ham is “pink chicken”. 😬

Why do your DC dictate what you cook for Christmas lunch? . They can choose in the future when they are hosting the meal.