Bored of turkey? Try these alt-birds, recommended by NJ chefs, for your Thanksgiving table

After speaking with Ariane Daguin, I ordered two capons for Thanksgiving — my Shop Rite turkey will go to the local food shelter.

Of all the bird choices for Turkey Day, the owner of D’Artagnan, one of the most highly respected gourmet meat distributors, which is based in New Jersey, says the capon — a male chicken that has been gelded, or castrated — is her "favorite."

"It is like a huge chicken," she said, hefty with lots of meat and a lot of fat, which adds flavor and is juicer.

If you're in a turkey rut — bored, or disappointed, or both — why not, like me, take the advice of Daguin and chefs and food industry professionals this Thanksgiving, and try a different bird. An alt-turkey, if you will. A capon is one option — or consider a heritage turkey, duck or goose.

"Goose can be kind of lean but flavorful." says chef Christine Nunn. "It's all dark meat."

More: These North Jersey restaurants serve Thanksgiving dinner — so you don't have to. Book now

Of course there are downsides to all, as well. Capons, for example, are smaller than turkeys, so you might need more than one to feed a crowd. They are also more expensive. Heritage turkeys could dry out if they don't have enough fat. And geese, well, they could be too greasy if there's too much fat.

But ready to give one a shot? Here's our look at your options for alt-turkey Thanksgiving.

Capons

Capons are considered much easier to cook because they don't readily dry out as do turkeys. They will take longer than a chicken, however, so factor in some extra time. According to dartagnan.com, "capon should be roasted for 17 minutes per pound, so a 10 pound bird would require a total roasting time of just under 3 hours." You'll know it's done, just like a chicken, when the juices run clear, or, a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the capon's thigh reads 165 degrees.

Wyckoff's Goffle Brook Poultry Farm, where I ordered them, has them listed at about $5 a pound, and I ordered two 7 pound birds. Shop Rite turkeys cost less than $4 a pound — that is if you fail to qualify for the "free" turkey for not having spent more than $400 during the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving.

Heritage turkeys

If you can't get past the notion that you have to have turkey on Thanksgiving, Daguin recommends trying a heritage turkey. These are varieties of domestic turkey that have retained historic characteristics no longer present in the majority of turkeys raised for consumption since the mid-20th century.

They are at least 10 different heritage turkey breeds, and, despite an increasing popularity, represent a microcosm of Thanksgiving turkey sales. An estimated 45 millions turkeys are killed for Thanksgiving tables, maybe 25,000 heritage birds are bred each year.

D'Artagnan offers two heritage birds, Narragansett and Bourbon Red breeds. They don't get as large as conventional birds, Dauhguin says they make up for it with heavy breasts, dark, rich meat, and authentic turkey flavor.

These turkeys can be costly, $8 a pound on the low end, and much higher depending on the farm raising them. D'Artganan lists its 16 pound minimum fresh Narragansett or bourbon red birds for $309.99.

Geese

There was a time when the go-to bird for holiday festivities was a goose. If capons and heritage birds don't appeal to you, Daguin says try cooking a goose, which is fattier, has darker meat and very flavorful. Nunn is also a fan.

Geese are smaller than turkey, but is considered a richer and more intense flavor than duck, which some find appealing. The fat content in goose meat is higher than in duck, contributing to its rich and succulent flavor.

To cook a goose, Nunn pierces the skin with a fork taking care not to pierce the flesh underneath.

She then pours boiling water over the bird and then lets it dry. This gives you a head start on rendering the fat from the bird. A goose and duck for that matter, produces a huge amount of fat. Nunn uses the fat to make a Yorkshire pudding to accompany the dish.

Geese are smaller and more expensive, partly because they are hard to cultivate in captivity. As a result they are more expensive. Goffle Poultry offers frozen geese at $12.50 a pound. Fossil Farms in Boonton offers a frozen 9 pound Goose for a $175.

Ducks

If you have a smaller crowd, a duck might be the way to go, if you crave something different. Nunn also recommends scoring the flesh of the duck breasts to start the rendering.

Follow any recipe that roasts a duck low and slow — and be sure to save all that fat. Nothing beats potatoes roasted in duck fat.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Don't want turkey for Thanksgiving? Try one of these alt-birds