The Surprising Main Andrew Zimmern Thinks You Should Make For Thanksgiving

Andrew Zimmern, host of Travel Channel's "Bizarre Foods," is an enthusiastic — or at least tolerant — consumer of such regional delicacies as Italian maggot-infested cheese. We'll leave those funky snacks to Zimmern, but we'll gladly enjoy some of the simple, tasty dishes he shares on his website, from crispy pork belly to apple fritters.

As befits a passionate chef who loves to share recipes with his audience, Zimmern has been peppering his social media feeds with plenty of ideas for the Thanksgiving table, from homemade gravy and chestnut stuffing to bread pudding. And when it comes to the main dish? The chef has a few ideas that go beyond poultry, ranging from rack of pork to leg of lamb. Yesterday, Zimmern surprised us with another nontraditional Thanksgiving main dish that we're seriously tempted to swap out our turkey for. Read on to find out what it is.

How about a little fish on your Thanksgiving table?

If you're like 65 percent of Americans, you might be a little sick of carving into a turkey come Thanksgiving Day. As reported by the New York Post, a 2018 survey conducted by Omaha Steaks found that 60 percent of respondents preferred to serve ham on the big day, followed by also-popular main dish choices of chicken (41 percent) and roast beef (37 percent). And if you, too, want to ditch the turkey this year, chef and TV personality Andrew Zimmern has a bold suggestion for you: fish.

Yesterday, on his Instagram page, Zimmern posted a close-up image of a luscious piece of salmon draped in smooth Hollandaise sauce, suggesting fish as a tasty alternative to poultry this Thanksgiving. "Seafood for Thanksgiving, why not!! Start a new tradition, especially for smaller gatherings," Zimmern wrote. On his website, the chef shared a recipe for the salmon dish, which calls for poaching a 2-pound filet of the pink-fleshed fish in white wine, onions, and celery.

Another fish option Zimmern suggests for the holiday table? A whole roasted red snapper. So if you're game, put down the baster and grab yourself some no-fuss seafood for next week's dinner.