My Thanksgiving Dinner in Copenhagen with a $200 Turkey

Story and photos submitted by Birgit Brun Coffman for The Danish Pioneer Newspaper – 

My husband and I decided to make a visit to Denmark in late November 2013. I especially enjoy Copenhagen at that time of the year, when Copenhagen and the rest of the country start getting ready for Christmas.

We were very fortunate to stay in a lovely apartment made available to us by a long time friend.  It had a modern kitchen and a large dining room including antique china, crystal and heirloom silver, so I invited family and friends to an American Thanksgiving dinner, so they could share part of my life in the USA.

However, first I assured myself that I could get a turkey in Denmark at that time. Thanksgiving is not celebrated in Denmark, and the preferred Christmas birds are duck or goose. Turkey is enjoyed as an elegant party entrée.  From the USA, I called Slagteren på Kultorvet, an old butcher shop of highest quality. They assured me that it would be possible, and I arranged to call back, when I knew how many guests we would be, and when to pick it up, etc.  In early November I called back, and told them we would be 10 and that I would like a 15 lbs. turkey, so there would be left overs.  At that point it occurred to me to ask for the price of such a turkey: Around $200 was the answer!!

I expressed a bit of surprise, but was assured it was a delicious, tasty turkey raised ecologically especially for them on a farm on Jylland (Jutland). Furthermore, its breed was the originally American domestic turkey (the orange feathered one you see on Thanksgiving napkins and have wondered where it came from). It was bred by crossing the domestic English turkey, which the British brought with them in the late 17th century, with the American wild turkey.  The breed was called the Bronze race and was the standard breed available in the US until the 1880’s. The breeders then started developing the white turkey with lots of white breast meat that we know today. The Bronze race breed still exists in England and now lately in Denmark and in a few states in the USA.

It sounded like an interesting bird. I also thought, why should we, on this unique American holiday commemorating fellowship and thanksgivings for survival, settle on a mass-produced, cheap turkey as the centerpiece.  No, this day ought to be celebrated with the best possible turkey. So a $200 turkey it was.

Besides, my side dishes for Thanksgiving dinner are not very expensive. Our accompaniments were mashed potatoes, gravy, corn oysters, the green bean casserole, oyster dressing, butternut squash roasted with red onions, and cranberry sauce.  The local bakery provided excellent buns. For dessert, of course, Pecan and Pumpkin pies.

Torvehallerne, a high-end indoors farmers market open year around near the city center, had cranberries from the USA, butternut squash and a small eating pumpkin.  The market is well worth a visit at any time of the year. We started the event with a drink and a delicious herring appetizer of Swedish origin, brought by a guest. Then we proceeded with the dinner accompanied with the appropriate wines. The turkey was outstanding, juicy, tender and with slightly darker meat. The conversation flowed in English and Danish and toasts and skåls were proposed. New friendships were made and old renewed.

It was a real American Thanksgiving dinner in a traditional Danish setting, and a  great pleasure for me to be able to repay the hospitality offered to me on many occasions in Denmark by friends and family with a special American tradition.

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Happy Thanksgiving Everyone from The Danish Pioneer Newspaper!

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