Thanksgiving on the Wild Side
Empanada Boy and I spent Thanksgiving in Cannon Beach with my grandma and immediate family and his parents, sister and brother-in-law. It was just the ten of us through most of the visit, but the Thanksgiving dinner at our family beach house was attended by nearly 30 of our closest friends and family. Needless to say, one turkey would not be enough. Mango Mama made a 20-lb bird using her traditional preparation (courtesy of Martha Stewart), which involves wrapping the bird in a butter-and-white wine-soaked cheesecloth. Another friend made a slightly smaller organic bird. These would have been enough to feed us all, but Daddy Salmon provided another interesting twist this year. About a week before Thanksgiving, he took his traditional longbow hunting in Lebanon, Oregon. He came back with the first bow-caught food of his archery career: a wild turkey.
The bird looks big in the above photo, but once Daddy Salmon had plucked its feathers it shrunk down to a sinuous 10 lbs. Daddy Salmon got up early on Thanksgiving day to brine the turkey in garlic, salt and a variety of herbs. After about eight hours of brining, I pulled it out and placed it in the roasting pan. The wild turkey didn’t get nice and browned like its supermarket cousins during the 2-3/4 hours of roasting. Each time I checked in on it, I was surprised to see the taught, greyish-brownish skin looking just as alien as ever. When I finally pulled it out, I noticed a purple-colored area on the top of the breast. This likely came from the blood vessels broken by the pierce of Daddy Salmon’s arrow.
This photo of the wild turkey waiting to be carved illustrates where the arrow hit. The meat was distributed to guests separately from the farm-raised turkeys to those interested in trying their free-ranging relative. The white meat turned out to be very tender, but it was far milder than the familiar store-bought birds. Daddy Salmon found whole acorns in its gullet, so we can only assume that this is part of what gave the meat its flavor. The dark meat was tough and very muscular, more like red meat than poultry. It was also difficult to get much dark meat off the bone. Daddy Salmon reminded us that there was less meat and more muscle on the wings and the thighs because wild turkeys actually fly.
In the end, it was great to get the chance to try a turkey that was much more like one the Pilgrims might have eaten. While it might not have had the plump, richness of the turkeys we’re used to, it was tasty and different. It’s not every day you get to try a food you’ve never tasted before without leaving the comfort of your own home, state or country. This opportunity alone was more than enough to be thankful for.
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Auntie Pasti said,
November 26, 2007 @ 9:31 pm
I hope you were thankful for your dad’s dominant left eye. Between your parents’ hunting and foraging and your preparation and photography, you got the whole food process covered. That wild turkey looks great.
Tofutti Cutie said,
November 26, 2007 @ 10:08 pm
Being a lover of wild game, I thought Daddy Salmon’s catch was the best! The meal, prepared by multiple chefs, truly represented the bounty of the harvest. The only thing better than the dinner was the company. I am still relishing the memories of it all!
Mango Lassie said,
November 26, 2007 @ 10:58 pm
We were so glad to have you Tofutti! Empanada Boy and I were just talking about how glad we were that you and Popover seemed to get along so well with my crazy, but loveable family. I hope things are nice back in sunny Tucson!
As for you, Auntie Pasti, I miss the days of celebrating Thanksgiving with you in NYC. It’s nice to be with everyone in Portland, but I’ll never forget the fun we had brining the turkey in the bathtub.
Flav said,
November 27, 2007 @ 11:51 am
Our feast didn’t end with the three turkeys. What ML left out were the four tarts she and I made (pear, apple,blueberry and cranberry), two pie (pecan, and pumpkin), delicious sweet potatoes, beautifully prepared asparagus bunches held together by carrot rings, multiple kinds of stuffing, orange cranberry relish, and plenty of good wine and champagne.
I’m getting full again just thinking about it!
Empanada Boy said,
December 3, 2007 @ 12:20 am
I liked the taste of the wild turkey. It had a really Earthy and down-home taste to it. And yes, I did feel like a pilgrim!
Mango Mama said,
December 3, 2007 @ 12:34 pm
I know I am late with a response, but I wanted to tell everyoe (especially EB’s family) that this was one of our best Thanksgivings ever. It is our tradition to make every single person at the table(s) tell the whole crowd what they are thankful for. This year we really had a lot to talk about. We are a lucky family!
And naturally, Daddy Salmon’s wild addition to the meal was simply wonderful!
Leftover girl said,
December 6, 2007 @ 8:31 pm
Nice bird Uncle Salmon!!!