Having enjoyed the Thanksgiving meal at friends far too much, I am not quite ready to relinquish food photography just yet.  Particularly since the most interesting word emerged from the dinner.  Spatchcock is our word for the day.  Many of you have probably already prepared a turkey (or other fowl) in this manner, but I had not heard the word before nor sampled one.  It just sounds like a British word, not to mention the fact that it could be used as an obscenity or to demean someone.  Well, that is not too much of a stretch.  

Spatchcock is a turkey or other fowl that has been split down the back, enabling the bird to be flattened.  The word is a combination of "dispatch" and "cock", both from 18th century English but spatchcock was originally an Irish usage, not unlike "Dispatch the cock".   The action of splitting the bird down the back helps the cook flatten the bird, allowing the bird to cook more quickly and, at the same time, retain moisture.  The result is very juicy and tasty meat.  Yes, there were comments about it looking a bit like road kill, but one cannot deny the wonderful flavor.  Here is Thursday's subject after cooking.

A lovely bowl of greens with nuts, and goat cheese, assorted veggies, and cooked and spiced red cabbage topped off with a pecan pie filled with New Mexico pecans completed the meal.   

Cheese and vegetable soup 1  

Thankfully, we all had spatchcock and other leftovers.  I hope all of you had tasty, interesting, perhaps exotic, and wonderful Thanksgiving celebrations.  Now, in December, we move toward the Winter Solstice on 21 December.

Thanks to gracious hosts Ingrid and Robert, and to all of you who wrote last week - Victoria, Barbara F. R., Veronica, Brenda M., Jean & Sam, Marilyn G., Catherine, Pauli, Connie T., and Steve.

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image©