Christmas Turkey

Bigmac1euro

I thought this might have deserved it's own thread and was surprised when I couldn't find a thread for just the Turkey.

Anyway I am looking for advice on where to buy a turkey around 5kg?
Should I go free range and what's the best value?

Cost
Price
Size
Type
Where

This might be a good place to put up the price you've paid and where you got it and if its free range or bronze? (even though I'm not sure what bronze means )

mirrorwall14

Bigmac1euro wrote: »

I thought this might have deserved it's own thread and was surprised when I couldn't find a thread for just the Turkey.

Anyway I am looking for advice on where to buy a turkey around 5kg?
Should I go free range and what's the best value?

Cost
Price
Size
Type
Where

This might be a good place to put up the price you've paid and where you got it and if its free range or bronze? (even though I'm not sure what bronze means )

I went to my butcher and asked for a turkey for the number of people I wanted. He asked if I wanted boned and rolled and I said no. God knows what I’ll get coz that was the sum total of the conversation.... my mother in law bought it every year until now

Posy

I got a 5kg free range bronze turkey in Tesco this evening for €42. It looks decent enough.

tscul32

Going to Tesco tomorrow morning for a bronze. Got one a few years ago and it was really tasty so sticking with it. Saw them in aldi yesterday too, even organic bronzes.

Littlehorny

tscul32 wrote: »

Going to Tesco tomorrow morning for a bronze. Got one a few years ago and it was really tasty so sticking with it. Saw them in aldi yesterday too, even organic bronzes.

We have always bought a medium size turkey in Dunnes, nothing special just a plain oul turkey and have been happy with it but this year we have looked through the Aldi Christmas catalogue and their meat range this year is brilliant.

I have decided to spend a bit extra and buy the organic Aldi one, if it doesn't turn out great I'll never hear the end of it

Am I doing the right thing? Worth it?

I have 3.5 kg home grown chickens. I wonder would they notice the difference.

tscul32

Littlehorny wrote: »

We have always bought a medium size turkey in Dunnes, nothing special just a plain oul turkey and have been happy with it but this year we have looked through the Aldi Christmas catalogue and their meat range this year is brilliant.

I have decided to spend a bit extra and buy the organic Aldi one, if it doesn't turn out great I'll never hear the end of it

Am I doing the right thing? Worth it?

We'd always just got a regular supermarket turkey and never had an issue with them. Tried a butcher one one year, it cost a fortune and we really couldn't tell the difference. The bronze one we got one year half price on Christmas eve and it seemed nicer than usual so we've stuck with it. But I do think if you cook it well it'll taste good either way.

Toeuptony

Has anyone seen any issues with availability in stores? I meant to get one today but I didn't have the opportunity, so I'm hoping they'll still be well stocked tomorrow.

Posy

I guess turkeys aren't something people stockpile loads of (I hope! :pac:) so I'd hope that they will be well stocked.

screamer

I’ve heard turkeys are scarce this year, know a friend of a friend who orders their turkey every year from same place and got a call yesterday to say they couldn’t fulfil her order!! Personally I can’t be bothered with a turkey and all the meat no one will eat like the legs so I buy a nice rolled breast fillet and it’s easy to cook

Graces7

screamer wrote: »

I’ve heard turkeys are scarce this year, know a friend of a friend who orders their turkey every year from same place and got a call yesterday to say they couldn’t fulfil her order!! Personally I can’t be bothered with a turkey and all the meat no one will eat like the legs so I buy a nice rolled breast fillet and it’s easy to cook

I have always bought a whole , smallish turkey and fed the cats raw legs etc and used the breast for my favourite recipe.
We will see about this turkey breast roast on the bone.

DvB

Just bought a turkey crown this year as its for just the 3 of us (the Mrs is a vegan so no meat for her), got a medium sized ham too so we should get dinner and a few sandwiches out of both which will suit us nicely. Both came to €50. Most years we get a large ham & turkey as we'd be hosting and it would come to about €80ish, we get it from the same butcher every year and they tend to do deals when buying both together.

Bigmac1euro

I got my turkey in Lidl. Serves 5-7 for 9 euro.
I’m having 5 adults, a 12 year old and a 1 year old.
I have some big plans to try not let it taste dry.
I’ll be using streaky bacon for the top of it as well.

This is obviously the cheapest option but my money was spent on other stuff for the guests like board games and makings for cocktails.
First Christmas in my recently bought house.

I also picked up the fancy Hampshire ham for 15.99 in SuperValu.
We had it last year and I cannot recommend it enough it really is the best ham I’ve ever had.

I did notice not nearly the amount of turkeys there used to be.

The brother is bringing up the spiced beef and we’ll have that on Stephens’s day.
Really looking forward to starting the dinner tomorrow.

Father used to work as a butcher a makes a serious stuffing.

Interesting to know the bronze turkeys are tasty. I must try one next year.

tscul32

Bigmac1euro wrote: »

I have some big plans to try not let it taste

.....my money was spent on other stuff for the guests like makings for cocktails.

If your cocktails are strong enough noone would even notice if the turkey is dry...

screamer

I’m planning to brine my turkey breast fillet and let’s see how it turns out. It’s fairly big I’d say 2kgs anyways got it from the butcher and was 24 euro. Large Ham was 14 both Irish sourced. I honestly don’t know where some of them get their prices from absolutely crazy for a turkey you eat for maybe 2 days.

DvB

screamer wrote: »

I’m planning to brine my turkey breast fillet and let’s see how it turns out. It’s fairly big I’d say 2kgs anyways got it from the butcher and was 24 euro. Large Ham was 14 both Irish sourced. I honestly don’t know where some of them get their prices from absolutely crazy for a turkey you eat for maybe 2 days.

One guy on a whatsapp group i'm in paid €85 for a turkey in his butchers... he has a family of 5 and no guests planned (that he told us anyway)... suspect they'll be eating turkey for breakfast, lunch & dinner until January 4th:)

screamer

DvB wrote: »

One guy on a whatsapp group i'm in paid €85 for a turkey in his butchers... he has a family of 5 and no guests planned (that he told us anyway)... suspect they'll be eating turkey for breakfast, lunch & dinner until January 4th:)

Ugh my worst nightmare. When I was little my Aunt and her family would decamp to my grans every Christmas, and bring a big brute of a turkey, I swear a yoke that gave itself up, every year... and it’d be there turkey curry, turkey in white sauce, turkey feckin sandwiches, and just when you’d seen the end of the feathered fiend, she’d produce another for New Years and the same ould ****e again. Really put me off turkey being honest. So, we have max 2 days, and then the dog is happy!

freshpopcorn

We just got a 7kg smoked ham.
We might glaze a small bit of ham also.
Turkey wise we just went with the Supevalu one again. Was happy enough with it last year. Got an extra large one.
We did go Bronze a few years ago and it didn’t do much extra for us.
Last year on Christmas Eve evening I was in Lidl and all the Turkeys were being sold off for €2.
We got one and froze it and had it at the new year. It was lovely to be honest.

DvB

screamer wrote: »

Ugh my worst nightmare. When I was little my Aunt and her family would decamp to my grans every Christmas, and bring a big brute of a turkey, I swear a yoke that gave itself up, every year... and it’d be there turkey curry, turkey in white sauce, turkey feckin sandwiches, and just when you’d seen the end of the feathered fiend, she’d produce another for New Years and the same ould ****e again. Really put me off turkey being honest. So, we have max 2 days, and then the dog is happy!

We're the same, one dinner & a few sandwiches and we're happy to move on. & I say that as someone who likes turkey and eats it a few times through the year.

freshpopcorn

DvB wrote: »

We're the same, one dinner & a few sandwiches and we're happy to move on. & I say that as someone who likes turkey and eats it a few times through the year.

We’ve the Christmas dinner, a bit in the evening, the same on Stephen’s Day and maybe even on the 27th and can do the whole Turkey and Ham thing for the new year as well.

DvB

freshpopcorn wrote: »

We’ve the Christmas dinner, a bit in the evening, the same on Stephen’s Day and maybe even on the 27th and can do the whole Turkey and Ham thing for the new year as well.

Fair play FP. I'd be screaming for lamb or minced beef at that stage:D

Littlehorny

freshpopcorn wrote: »

We’ve the Christmas dinner, a bit in the evening, the same on Stephen’s Day and maybe even on the 27th and can do the whole Turkey and Ham thing for the new year as well.

We do the whole two full Christmas dinners on the 25th and 26th as well but def no turkey for New Years . Ham or Beef for that day.

Sarn

In relation to availability, went to two Dunnes yesterday evening to pick up a small amount of turkey and they had none. Plenty of whole turkeys.

Most likely due to the time since the last restock. Not good if you had to queue for a while to get in (I recommend booking a slot).

phormium

I have a small turkey in the fridge and a crown, I prefer it that way as more breast to leg ratio meat, I have already amputated a drumstick and roasted it with the wings and giblets and then overnight in the slow cooker so stock for gravy is ready.

I love turkey and will have several full dinners of it over the next days and any leftovers will be frozen in the gravy for another day

Over the years I have bought all the fancy kinds from here there and everywhere but like the bog standard supermarket kind just as much, got them in Tesco this year.

Graces7

screamer wrote: »

I’ve heard turkeys are scarce this year, know a friend of a friend who orders their turkey every year from same place and got a call yesterday to say they couldn’t fulfil her order!! Personally I can’t be bothered with a turkey and all the meat no one will eat like the legs so I buy a nice rolled breast fillet and it’s easy to cook

Wondering if the bird flu epidemic is to blame at least in part? They had to slaughter large numbers in the UK. Or are all the turkeys here Irish?

Toeuptony

Sarn wrote: »

In relation to availability, went to two Dunnes yesterday evening to pick up a small amount of turkey and they had none. Plenty of whole turkeys.

Most likely due to the time since the last restock. Not good if you had to queue for a while to get in (I recommend booking a slot).

I just went to my local Dunnes and got a nice free range one. They didn't have a lot on the shelves, but they looked like they were in the process of restocking.

olestoepoke

Got mine in a tray with stuffing and ham portions from musgraves for 18e.

screamer

screamer wrote: »

Ugh my worst nightmare. When I was little my Aunt and her family would decamp to my grans every Christmas, and bring a big brute of a turkey, I swear a yoke that gave itself up, every year... and it’d be there turkey curry, turkey in white sauce, turkey feckin sandwiches, and just when you’d seen the end of the feathered fiend, she’d produce another for New Years and the same ould ****e again. Really put me off turkey being honest. So, we have max 2 days, and then the dog is happy!

Sounds like heaven to me.

tscul32

We get a big one so we have lots of leftovers. Turkey and ham on the day. My dad gets a leg, eats half and brings the rest of it home. We usually send the other drumstick home with him too cos he really loves them. Stephen's day we have leftover pizzas. Will have sambos one say aswell and the rest is chopped and sliced and frozen for curries and Turkey and ham pie, fried rice with ham, etc. over the next month or two. Kids love it in school sambos, especially if I've frozen some stuffing too.

TRS30

After our bronzed turkey last year have gone for a standard bone and rolled this year. When I say gone, I mean that is what my Mum brought as they always provide the meats. Will be ham, spiced beef and tongue as well.

byhookorbycrook

Grew up raiding turkeys , would never buy from a supermarket. There’s a big shortage of small turkeys as so many people aren’t getting together with extended family groups this year .
Boned and rolled here for the last few years . I slice up some of the leftovers and freeze in individual “ meals “ along with gravy and ham .

Jim_Hodge

screamer wrote: »

I’ve heard turkeys are scarce this year, know a friend of a friend who orders their turkey every year from same place and got a call yesterday to say they couldn’t fulfil her order!! Personally I can’t be bothered with a turkey and all the meat no one will eat like the legs so I buy a nice rolled breast fillet and it’s easy to cook

It's not that they're scarce per se but a certainly weight range is under severe demand due to people all looking for smaller turkey's than usual. There's actually a huge surplus of larger turkeys.

Our 12lb is ready to be collected and my wife and I will eat every scrap as we live it.

Akrasia

My wife went in tonight to pick up a turkey in Ennis Dunnes stores. Apparently they’re all sold out. Anyone know anywhere in the ennis area we could pick one up tomorrow?

Willing to travel to Shannon, Newmarket, limerick...

edit. My wife was lied to, plenty of frozen turkeys there. defrosting as we speak..