What to do with these bad boys? (dead animal content!)
What to do with these bad boys? (dead animal content!)
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Discussion

LaurasOtherHalf

Original Poster:

21,429 posts

225 months

Tuesday 22nd January 2013
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There's a local game dealer who'll pluck & gut for me, so all ideas welcome....

How long to hang, how to cook, what recipe etc

thumbup

TonyTony

1,882 posts

187 months

Tuesday 22nd January 2013
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Just chomp into it, Bear Grylls style. smile

ohtari

805 posts

173 months

Mobile Chicane

21,977 posts

241 months

Tuesday 22nd January 2013
quotequote all
It's easy enough to do yourself. Wear disposable vinyl gloves, and have a carrier bag to hand for the mess.

My way (probably wrong but it works for me) is to cut off the head, the feet and the first joint of the wing, work my finger under the skin at the neck, then rip the whole skin off, feathers included.

Stick two fingers up its arse and pull out everything you find in there. Save the liver and heart to be fried in a bit of butter until just done. (Chef's treat.)

Personally I'd cut off the legs and slow cook those in a mirepoix of shallot, celery and carrot with some red wine and chestnuts, then pan fry the breasts very quickly to serve on top.

LaurasOtherHalf

Original Poster:

21,429 posts

225 months

Tuesday 22nd January 2013
quotequote all
Mobile Chicane said:
It's easy enough to do yourself. Wear disposable vinyl gloves, and have a carrier bag to hand for the mess.

My way (probably wrong but it works for me) is to cut off the head, the feet and the first joint of the wing, work my finger under the skin at the neck, then rip the whole skin off, feathers included.

Stick two fingers up its arse and pull out everything you find in there. Save the liver and heart to be fried in a bit of butter until just done. (Chef's treat.)

Personally I'd cut off the legs and slow cook those in a mirepoix of shallot, celery and carrot with some red wine and chestnuts, then pan fry the breasts very quickly to serve on top.
Or pay someone a couple of quid to do it for ya wink

That's how I did it when I was younger but fk that, I hate the feeling of ripping out the feathers & I want to keep the skin this time.

Can't take credit for the brace-a customer shot them for me biggrin

dazco

4,281 posts

218 months

Tuesday 22nd January 2013
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I know nothing about game birds but every time I have seen them hanging they were upside down. Is that important?

K12beano

20,854 posts

304 months

Tuesday 22nd January 2013
quotequote all
There is a school of thought that you should hang them by the neck.

Then, when the body parts from the head, you know it's been hung enough! smile Simples!

Mobile Chicane

21,977 posts

241 months

Tuesday 22nd January 2013
quotequote all
LaurasOtherHalf said:
Mobile Chicane said:
It's easy enough to do yourself. Wear disposable vinyl gloves, and have a carrier bag to hand for the mess.

My way (probably wrong but it works for me) is to cut off the head, the feet and the first joint of the wing, work my finger under the skin at the neck, then rip the whole skin off, feathers included.

Stick two fingers up its arse and pull out everything you find in there. Save the liver and heart to be fried in a bit of butter until just done. (Chef's treat.)

Personally I'd cut off the legs and slow cook those in a mirepoix of shallot, celery and carrot with some red wine and chestnuts, then pan fry the breasts very quickly to serve on top.
Or pay someone a couple of quid to do it for ya wink

That's how I did it when I was younger but fk that, I hate the feeling of ripping out the feathers & I want to keep the skin this time.

Can't take credit for the brace-a customer shot them for me biggrin
That's cheating - and somewhat against the grain when the pheasant were free to begin with.

Why not buy oven-ready birds from Waitrose? smile

Incidentally I hate feathers / guts too - that's why I wear gloves when skinning / gutting.

K12beano

20,854 posts

304 months

Tuesday 22nd January 2013
quotequote all
Or, another quick cheat, simply cut out two breast fillets from each bird!

LaurasOtherHalf

Original Poster:

21,429 posts

225 months

Tuesday 22nd January 2013
quotequote all
Mobile Chicane said:
LaurasOtherHalf said:
Mobile Chicane said:
It's easy enough to do yourself. Wear disposable vinyl gloves, and have a carrier bag to hand for the mess.

My way (probably wrong but it works for me) is to cut off the head, the feet and the first joint of the wing, work my finger under the skin at the neck, then rip the whole skin off, feathers included.

Stick two fingers up its arse and pull out everything you find in there. Save the liver and heart to be fried in a bit of butter until just done. (Chef's treat.)

Personally I'd cut off the legs and slow cook those in a mirepoix of shallot, celery and carrot with some red wine and chestnuts, then pan fry the breasts very quickly to serve on top.
Or pay someone a couple of quid to do it for ya wink

That's how I did it when I was younger but fk that, I hate the feeling of ripping out the feathers & I want to keep the skin this time.

Can't take credit for the brace-a customer shot them for me biggrin
That's cheating - and somewhat against the grain when the pheasant were free to begin with.

Why not buy oven-ready birds from Waitrose? smile

Incidentally I hate feathers / guts too - that's why I wear gloves when skinning / gutting.
hehe oh it's just the feeling of ripping he feathers out mate-bloomin' horrible!

As for the couple of quid no way would you get a brace for that price, not even oop north never mind your fancy waitrose ste biggrin

But seriously, any more tips on recipes? I seem to remember bot boiling with pears back in the day but if anyone's tried anything good lately I'm more than up for sharing here.

The two pictured above are hanging & I've also got two being plucked today/tomorrow to be picked up. My thinking is to eat the first two then to lt the two above hang for a couple of weeks & see if the flavour changes that much.

Pixel-Snapper

5,321 posts

221 months

Wednesday 23rd January 2013
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K12beano said:
Or, another quick cheat, simply cut out two breast fillets from each bird!
Agreed. Unless you want the hole bird just cut along the breast bone then pull the skin back and and cut the breast of.

No guts or feathers involved.