You Could See This Bird On New York Tables This Thanksgiving More Than Ever Before
With the increase of prices on literally everything at the grocery store going into Thanksgiving, what can we see more of instead of turkey this year. Is it chicken? Plot twist, it isn't.
First off, it doesn't seem that there will be an actual shortage of turkey this year. The price is where many will suffer:
"We're not seeing a shortage of supply," said Ben Del Coro, vice president of sales and marketing at Fossil Farms, a New Jersey-based purveyor of sustainable and all-natural meats and farm-raised game. Whole frozen turkey prices have increased from $1.15 per pound at this time in 2021 to $1.47 per pound for the week of Oct. 28-Nov. 3, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. While that's nearly a 28% increase per pound, "the overall costs are in line with what everyone has been experiencing all year" with food prices and inflation"
So what other style birds are people turning to instead of Tom Turkey? If you’d like to stick to a semi normal Thanksgiving theme without breaking the wallet, experts are recommending guinea hen, pheasants and ducks. Honestly, ducks seem to be leading the pack. Is this 1872? Duck is leading the way to an affordable Thanksgiving in 2022.
Since duck is a waterfowl, it has an adequate amount of skin fat that aids with buoyancy. The skin fat bastes the bird naturally making it very moist. When you combine moisture with a little bit of fat, you get a succulent taste that shines on its own. On the contrary, eating a plain piece of turkey breast will be a kind of bland meat. Duck stands out over turkey because you can eat it alone or garnish it if you want."
Duck is the way according to Twin Oaks Caterers.
Was Duck Eaten At The First Thanksgiving Meal?
According to The History Channel, Thanksgiving dates back to November 1621 when the newly arrived Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians gathered at Plymouth for an autumn harvest celebration. But what was really on the menu at the famous banquet? Apparently turkey took the backseat
While no records exist of the exact bill of fare, the Pilgrim chronicler Edward Winslow noted in his journal that the colony’s governor, William Bradford, sent four men on a “fowling” mission in preparation for the three-day event"
The fowling party returned with other birds we know the colonists regularly consumed, such as ducks, geese and swans.
Thanksgiving Duck Recipes
Food Network has over 20 pages of Duck Recipes. If you're looking to switch up your Thanksgiving this year, take a look at these recipes here. There is also a ton of farms across New York state where you can buy fresh duck.
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