We are still eating Thanksgiving leftovers -- at this point leftover-leftovers, as the leftovers I made into Turkey chorizo and nachos still had some life in them for dinner tonight. I've got one more meal's worth of turkey on the carcass, which I can turn into a leftovers dish; and then if there are leftovers of that as well, we'll have eaten from Thursday to Tuesday on the same bird.
It occurred to me as I was carving meat from the bird that I did not know if turkeys had a carving word. In the Middle Ages, there were a whole host of these terms for different animals, and carving was considered a sort of Aristotelian science. Turkeys are a New World bird, though, and I don't see one on at least this list. Here are some that are close:
- allay a pheasant
- disfigure a peacock
- display a quail
- fract a chicken
- rear a goose
- sauce a capon
- spoil a hen
- unbrace a mallard
- wing a partridge
I would say that turkeys are probably closer to geese than any of the others, but in our present culture 'to rear a turkey' would inevitably be taken as a euphemism for a despicable practice. Plus it should really have its own name, that being in the spirit of the thing. Perhaps one might 'leftover a turkey.'
Soon I will begin the holiday baking, so that we can send cookies and the like out to all and sundry. Once the Yuletide proper gets here, there will be meat pies to be served in the Hall itself. For now, though, it is only the beginning of the time of preparation.
12 comments:
I wonder. These could be so, certainly. But the "terms of venery" such as a pride of lions, or a murder of crows were actually from a much later time than the Middle Ages. Around 1800, I think. There were a few from much earlier, but not many. It became a craze in the late 18th, I think. Might not these words of nice distinction be similar, artificially imposed at a later date. The link you post doesn't say one way or the other.
... in which case we're even freer to "slab a turkey."
So, one reading for thinking them Medieval is that Kevin Crossley-Holland included them in a work of fiction set in the 1100s, where he presents them as part of a page’s knightly education. Now he is also a noted scholar of the Middle Ages, which inclines me to think they were as he presented them even in s fictional work. That’s not dispositive, of course.
Here’s a source claiming it for ~13th century England:
https://morningmail.org/around-the-british-table-long-ago/
Excellent.
I finally answered from a week ago at my site, BTW
...in which case we're even freer to "slab a turkey."
Or to trot one.
Eric Hines
I must now re-watch all episodes of the British TV short series "Posh Nosh" to listen to Monty's verbs. I had thought them all, every one, merely ignorant humorous error. Now I wonder if they are extraordinarily erudite humorous errors.
Thank you, AVI. I’ve rejoined that discussion.
I ended up having enough turkey when the bird was ‘unlaced’ or ‘looted’ of ‘slabbed’ or whatever for a second batch of chorizo, a batch of turkey and black bean chili, and three quarts of stock. So we will in fact be eating off the bird for a while yet.
I had grand plans for making turkey broth and other things this year. Alas, new kitchen countertops (and removing the stove and sink to make way for same, and unplugging the fridge and freezer) put the kibosh on my plans.
LittleRed1
We're finished with the Turkey tetrazzini and probably will finish off the turkey soup today. We would never miss an opportunity to turn such a grand frame into stock.
Grim, thanks for mentioning Kevin Crossley-Holland. I hadn't heard of him before, but I'm very interested in good historical fiction informed by good scholarship.
You are certainly welcome.
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