Went to Leclerc to shop for the dinner I'm hosting after the Carol service tomorrow. They had 2 very expensive free range turkeys, very small about 5lbs each 27€ and a 5.1/2lb special offer turkey at 12.55€ so I bought the cheap one. They had loads of capons so I also bought a capon bigger than the turkey and a rolled turkey breast all for tomorrow evening. There will be 17 of us. 3 couldn't come.
We always had capon on Dec 25th, not idea why it's not more popular. I always remember it being delicious and folk who joined us always said " this is best turkey I've ever tasted " Most had never heard of capon when they were told it wasn't turkey.
To be honest I prefer a good well-reared capon to a turkey 😋
Lots of rough puff pastry made (2lb flour) ... some is chilling to use tomorrow... the rest is in the freezer to use later on ... and OHs birthday supper of slow cooked duck legs with plums, star anise and cinnamon is countering slowly under foil in the oven ... to be eaten with noodles. 😇
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Never tried capon but the ladies at Patch rate it and I have been sent a recipe. Might try it for NY Day. Our traditional Xmas dinner has become duck breast with red wine and juniper sauce. Gratin dauphinois, broccoli and peas and so no leftovers and OH does his own sprouts. No Xmas pud for him this year so we'll either have sticky toffee or steamed chocolate and ginger pudding.
Veggies are more expensive here @Busy-Lizzie but good quality and the shops I use have as much local or regionally grown stuff as possible. The Spanish equivalents are usually cheaper but they have dodgy employment conditions and poor treatment of immigrant workers so I avoid them.
Hubby does that one and a beef and prune. We had both in Marrakesh and found recipes upon return. Which did he cook for you and the Birthday Boy @Dovefromabove?
Yes, @Obelixx - Irish navvies worked in appalling conditions building lots of railway infrastructure etc in Britain. They seem to have been seen as an expendable commodity... but hopefully our builder's labourers, carpenter etc are paid well for a good job. They certainly seem cheerful as well as hard working.
We are being fed on Christmas day, by our daughter and son-in-law, so I don't know what we're having... it'll be lovely, whatever! It's a bit dusty and full of boxes here so the only Christmas decoration we have up is our cards. The granddaughters have been decorating their tree, so I'm sure it will be beautifully OTT...
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
Capon was the bird of choice back in the 50's and 60's when I were a lad. I didn't taste turkey until the 70's. Caponisation (castration) is illegal in the UK but is unnecessary to produce the large cockerels now sold as capons. My guess would be that once turkey rearing got established the returns were greater than from capons so they faded from the market.
My daughter has asked me to bring lemon sole for the starter on Christmas day but I've been out twice this week and can't find any. I was going to freeze it to save stress next week.
We had duck and juniper at a friend's for a dinner party, I was ill afterwards. Juniper upsets my tum, can't drink gin, don't like it in mulled wine.
Love tagine @Hostafan1, that one sounds good. I like fruit with meat, but OH isn't so keen.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
We’re having slow roast crispy duck legs with plums and star anise, noodles and stir fried cucumber and spring onions for OHs birthday supper tonight 😋
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
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Chicken and apricot tagine for us .
To be honest I prefer a good well-reared capon to a turkey 😋
Lots of rough puff pastry made (2lb flour) ... some is chilling to use tomorrow... the rest is in the freezer to use later on ... and OHs birthday supper of slow cooked duck legs with plums, star anise and cinnamon is countering slowly under foil in the oven ... to be eaten with noodles. 😇
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Veggies are more expensive here @Busy-Lizzie but good quality and the shops I use have as much local or regionally grown stuff as possible. The Spanish equivalents are usually cheaper but they have dodgy employment conditions and poor treatment of immigrant workers so I avoid them.
Love that sort of tagine @Hostafan1.
Which did he cook for you and the Birthday Boy @Dovefromabove?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
We are being fed on Christmas day, by our daughter and son-in-law, so I don't know what we're having... it'll be lovely, whatever! It's a bit dusty and full of boxes here so the only Christmas decoration we have up is our cards. The granddaughters have been decorating their tree, so I'm sure it will be beautifully OTT...
We had duck and juniper at a friend's for a dinner party, I was ill afterwards. Juniper upsets my tum, can't drink gin, don't like it in mulled wine.
Love tagine @Hostafan1, that one sounds good. I like fruit with meat, but OH isn't so keen.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.