Tired of gobbling up turkey at Christmas? Or maybe you favour festive tradition over taste? Whatever you decide to cook, make sure it’s a delicious, hearty feast, says Jaine Blackman Considering a lot of us only eat turkey once a year, there’s an awful lot of fuss made about it. Butcher or supermarket, how big, where to store it?

The beastly birds are so massive, they take up half the space in the average fridge or freezer.

And then, finally, comes how to cook it.

Delia Smith has a tried-and-tested recipe in her seminal Delia Smith’s Christmas, while Jamie Oliver, Heston Blumenthal, Gordon Ramsay and just about every other TV chef you can think of, have all had a go at coming up with their own twist on the traditional dish.

Methods vary from brining it for 24 hours beforehand – that’s submerging it in a bucket of salty water flavoured with things like rosemary, garlic and clementine peel - to rubbing garlic and herb butter under the bird’s skin to make it crisp and golden, while the meat underneath – in theory – comes out nice and moist.

For all these techniques, though, turkey meat is always much of a muchness. Even a modest-sized bird comes in at about 10lb/4.5kg, with whoppers nearing 17lb on sale for larger families, meaning they need so long in the oven that, unless you concentrate on anything but that, it’ll end up dry as a bone.

Gordon Ramsay’s take is to joint the bird first, roasting the breasts and legs separately, which dramatically reduces cooking time. That can only be a good thing, but it’s also worth remembering the instructions of Georges Auguste Escoffier, the godfather of French cuisine, who wrote in his 1903 book Le Guide Culinaire: “Roast in a moderate oven”. And that’s it.

There are a few golden rules though, like getting the turkey up to room temperature before cooking. It takes a while, so if it’s in the fridge and you’re roasting on Christmas Day morning, take it out the night before. You should try to keep the bird moist too, with a bit of butter on the breast and perhaps some bacon.

You could, however, just forgo turkey altogether and eat something else.

After all, we only started eating turkey in the 16th century –- Henry VIII was the first monarch to eat it as part of his festive feast – with goose and boar very popular before then.

Goose has remained popular, although during Victorian times it was expensive, prompting hard-up fans of the gamey bird to start Goose clubs, like a street urchins’ version of a supermarket reward card.

There’s an argument for eating whatever you like on Christmas Day, too. If you’d really be happier with steak and chips, why not have that? Of course, if you’re going to do that, make sure it’s the best steak you can manage, and pull out all the stops with the bearnaise sauce. Similarly, if nothing would please you more than a nice lamb chop, a pasta dish, or an array of roasted veg, go for it. Just don’t skimp on anything – make it a feast.

If you still want the focal point of a big meal but are tempted to break away from tradition, other joints are worth considering. A turkey Wellington’s a perfect alternative for those who still want turkey but don’t want the hassle. You could make it a day or two in advance and just cook it on Christmas Day.

If you still want poultry, maybe have a couple of chickens, or a cockerel for a stronger flavour and more meat. Guinea fowl, slightly smaller than chickens, are particularly good, especially if you’re cooking for just yourself and one other.

A fore rib of beef is another alternative. This means shifting around some of the side dishes - you can’t serve it without Yorkshire puddings - but it’s worth it. And a cold beef sandwich with a load of mustard on Boxing Day is hard to beat.

Whatever you choose, remember to think about the size of your kitchen and oven space, ease of cooking and, above all, what you’ll actually enjoy. Tradition is important at Christmas, but tasty grub is essential.