Food, Food & Drink, Holiday & Gift, Ingredient Spotlight, Kitchen, Kitchen Confidential:
Good Gobble
Some of the most delicious food we eat all year is served up at the Thanksgiving table — especially when that spread includes a heritage turkey. A smart alternative to the standard birds you find at the supermarket, heritage turkeys boast the bloodlines of traditional breeds (i.e., the kind our forefathers would have enjoyed) that have not been industrialized for the sake of efficiency.
Slower-growing, leaner, and typically smaller than commercially-raised turkeys, heritage turkeys pack a punch when it comes to flavor. Because these birds are free-range, they exercise more than turkeys raised in cramped quarters, resulting in a better balance between dark and white meat. Their longer growth period (24 - 30 weeks vs. 18 for conventional birds) creates an extra layer of flavor-enhancing fat. And a heritage bird’s more varied, hormone- and antibiotic-free diet yields a rich, naturally firm meat with an authentic turkey taste.
You T-giving leftovers will never be the same again. Find your heritage turkey online at heritagefoodsusa.com, localharvest.org, and dartagnan.com. Supplies are limited, so get ‘em before they’re gobbled up!
Photo: dartagnan.com
