Best Birds for the Holidays
For over 35 years, we have been dedicated to bringing the world’s finest natural and organic meats to four-star chefs and home gourmets alike, and our holiday fare is no exception. We are proud to continue this tradition by presenting our exclusive selection of the season’s best birds to grace your family’s table.
We believe that sustainable farming is simply the responsible practice of meeting our common need for wholesome and delicious food without endangering the future. D’Artagnan has always carefully selected and vetted our suppliers, and worked with small family farms that practice sustainable farming. The many benefits of their devoted stewardship are self-evident, not the least of which is producing animals that yield the best quality meat with superb flavor and texture.
Read on to learn about the holiday birds we offer at D’Artagnan, and place your pre-order to guarantee that you have the best bird on your table for the holidays. Download our handy Turkey Roasting Guide for a quick reference.
Our certified organic, free-range turkey is a naturally delicious, healthy, and nutritious choice for your family. These Broad-breasted White turkeys are farm-raised in the Midwest in adherence to the strict USDA standards required for organic certification. The grain they eat is certified 100% organic to ensure that the birds are free of pesticides and other chemicals, and they drink pure well water. The meticulous farming methods and high-standard breeding practices result in a turkey that is healthier for you and for the environment.
Flavor Profile: Our organic turkey is known for its rich, classic turkey flavor with a subtle sweetness. It has a well-balanced combination of savory and slightly earthy notes.
Key Characteristics: The organic certification ensures that this turkey is raised without the use of antibiotics or hormones. The result is a clean, pure turkey flavor that is both familiar and comforting, making it an excellent choice for a traditional holiday feast.
D'Artagnan Heritage Turkeys are from Narragansett and Bourbon Red stock, which are breeds known for their heavy breasts and richly flavored meat. Unlike their modern cousins, the heritage breeds grow at a slower pace, which is inconvenient for factory farms on a strict schedule. These old breeds have largely been displaced by Broad-breasted White turkeys. They have dark feathers, which can result in noticeable pinfeathers in the flesh. And they are not as large as the modern birds, engineered to grow to enormous size.
Our heritage turkeys are raised on small farms, with great care and attention paid to their welfare. They eat a non-GMO corn and soy diet and are air-chilled during processing. This translates to a superbly clean bird that yields naturally firm and moist meat with authentic turkey flavor, and extra crispy skin. If you believe, as we do, that a happy turkey is a tasty turkey, then a heritage bird is the one for your table.
Flavor Profile: Our heritage turkey offers a distinct and robust flavor. It is often described as having a deeper, more intense turkey taste with a slightly gamey quality.
Key Characteristics: Heritage turkeys are prized for their historical lineage, and are raised with traditional farming practices. Their flavor profile is a departure from the ordinary, making them an excellent choice for those looking for a truly exceptional and distinctive turkey experience.
Our Green Circle turkey is a very special bird. Certified humane, free-range, and exclusively available at D’Artagnan, every turkey that bears the name is raised on a diet of surplus vegetables. The Green Circle program revives the methods of family farms from over a century ago when poultry ate vegetable scraps while roaming freely in farmyards and pastures. Our Amish and Mennonite partner farms adhere to strict standards in the care of these Broad-breasted White turkeys, and no antibiotics, hormones, or arsenicals are ever used. From start to finish, these birds are treated and fed well, and the result is an exceptionally tender, moist, and tasty turkey on your holiday table.
Flavor Profile: Our Green Circle turkey offers a balanced and clean flavor profile with a hint of sweetness, nuttiness, and a slightly richer taste than standard turkey.
Key Characteristics: Green Circle turkeys are raised on a special diet that includes surplus vegetables, resulting in a more flavorful and sustainable turkey. This unique feeding regimen contributes to the turkey's delicious flavor and sets it apart from the other birds.
This deliciously juicy, tender, and full-breasted bird is a holiday tradition in France and a great alternative for your holiday table. Specially raised for us on small family farms in South Dakota that offer a complete farm-to-table audit trail, and focus on best animal welfare practices. These hefty birds have characteristically white flesh generously marbled with fat, making them tremendously succulent with exceptional flavor and tenderness. Smaller than a turkey, but larger than a standard chicken these birds are perfect for an intimate holiday dinner for two, or up to six.
Flavor Profile: Capon is celebrated for its tender and succulent meat, which has a flavor profile that falls between chicken and turkey but is distinctly richer and more flavorful. It offers a well-balanced combination of savory and slightly sweet notes.
Key Characteristics: Capons are castrated roosters known for their large size, robust flavor, and juicy texture. The meat is prized for its tenderness and depth of flavor, making it a superb option for a special holiday meal. Capon is beloved in Europe where it is considered the best bird for festive occasions.
Our white Embden geese are raised on a small farm in the Midwest. The geese live in open barns and small flocks until they are six weeks old. From then on, the birds range free in natural pastures with access to fresh spring water, natural light, and fresh air. Their feed consists of corn and soy meal, with added vitamins and minerals. Juicy and distinctively flavored, it’s no wonder that geese are widely held as the best bird for Christmas.
Flavor Profile: Geese offer dark meat with a bold and distinctive flavor that is richer and more intense than typical poultry. The taste is characterized by a deep, savory richness with a hint of gaminess and a satisfyingly robust, earthy quality. For those who like duck, goose will make a perfect holiday bird.
Key Characteristics: Geese are a classic choice for traditional holiday feasts. They are known for their flavorful and juicy meat and their generous fat content that yields deliciously crispy skin. The flavor profile of geese makes them a preferred option for those seeking a hearty and full-bodied poultry experience for the holiday table.
