Go global for some turkey alternatives

Over the last few days, I’ve received quite a few questions about bird flu and whether it might crash our Christmas dinner plans. And no, your turkey isn’t plotting against you.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has stated clearly that “the disease poses no food safety risk to consumers of well-cooked poultry products, including eggs” and that “the risk to public health from the strain of avian influenza that is circulating is very low.” If you do have concerns, contact your GP.

That said, none of us are exactly lining up for poultry that’s been anywhere near a virus, low-risk or not. Farmers with confirmed cases are culling their flocks to prevent further spread, which unfortunately means that Irish poultry availability will drop.

Imported turkeys are likely to fill the gap, along with higher prices and many people may start looking for alternatives to the traditional Christmas bird.

But that’s not necessarily bad news. In many countries, Christmas dinner looks quite different from our familiar turkey and ham affair.

In Italy, lasagne is practically a festive staple (and honestly, who would complain?). Portugal brings out the suckling pig, Greece favours pork too, and Iceland goes all in with smoked lamb.

And here in Ireland, we’re hardly short of excellent options. We produce beautiful pork. Just ask Avril Allshire-Howe and her family in Rosscarbery, whose Caherbeg free-range pork is simply outstanding. The same goes for our beef and lamb, though I still associate lamb more with Easter than Christmas. Fish, especially salmon, can also make a spectacular centrepiece.

A stroll through the English Market will sort you out, and with a bright citrussy crumble on top, a salmon can look every bit as impressive as a turkey (and do far less sulking in the oven).

Curious about shaking things up, I asked my ‘good old friend’ AI to design an alternative Christmas dinner inspired by global traditions. The result was an entire festive world tour on a plate.

Welcome drink is a spiced clementine & ginger spritz with either sparkling water or prosecco for a grown-up version. Starter options included scallops in cream (France) or beetroot soup with mushroom dumplings (Poland) or burrata with citrus and pistachio (Italy).

For bread, the Icelandic snowflake bread was suggested (a crispy flatbread with a snowflake pattern).

For main course, Lechon-style slow roast pork shoulder from the Philippines, Spanish roast lamb or lasagne a forno from Italy. A soy-honey glazed salmon from Japan was also suggested but a quick search showed that KFC is the traditional Christmas feast in Japan.

For sides, German red cabbage with apples (my favourite) and Greek roasted carrots with feta and oregano was suggested next to French gratin dauphinois.

Coming to desserts, bûche de Noël (France), panettone bread pudding with amaretto cream (Italy) or rabanadas which is a Portuguese Christmas French toast (I might prefer that for breakfast rather than dessert). Not short of indulgence, Irish coffee with nutmeg was the crowning ending to the AI Global Christmas Feast.

Not bad ideas and no turkey in sight!