Talking Christmas turkey

It is advisable – essential, if you are going to get what you want – to order your Christmas meat or poultry in advance. Bargaining for a turkey on Christmas Eve may be a challenge, but does nothing for your peace of mind (and there will only be scraggy birds left, anyway). So once you have made your decision on your meat or poultry, put your order in as early as you can. But read these notes first to help you make a decision: many people are unaware of the choices that are available.

*Choose bronze – it's not all black or white *
There was a time when all the turkeys reared in this country were black-feathered – still close relations of the wild, original American bird. But, in the same way that white bread became a fashionable refinement, so did the white turkey. The so-called problem with black feathers is that after plucking they leave what we might nowadays call designer stubble on the flesh, and this apparently offended earlier sensibilities.

So turkey breeders set out to evolve a breed of white turkey, more aesthetic and plumper of breast, and the cycle started. Demand prompted mass-production and intensive rearing which, in turn, meant that the turkeys were fattened too fast on unsuitable food, and were not hung properly. The result was a 'sliced-white' turkey with about as much character and flavour as a factory-baked loaf. When turkeys were water-cooled and went into the deep freezer having absorbed some of the water, it was not entirely surprising that some people gave up on turkeys altogether.

The good news is that we have seen a revival of interest in flavour and – more important – breeders who are prepared to return to the traditional methods of rearing. Now my first choice for Christmas is always the KellyBronze turkey, a cross between the unfashionable dark-feathered and the modern white birds, lovingly raised by Derek and Paul Kelly on their Chelmsford farms. Their KellyBronze turkey combines the bulk of the modern turkey with the taste and texture of the old, and is a proper, free-ranging, grain-fed turkey hung in the traditional manner.

Order a KellyBronze!NB Please mention Delia Online when ordering!