How to prep a duck?
Discussion
It's quite cool at this time of year so you hand leave them to hang for ages, there aren't many blow flies around so maggots aren't an issue. I'd say leave them to hand got a good week in a cool place ( with there innards out of course ), they'll also be alot easier to pluck once they have hung for a while.
Ducks :
Gut them
Use the innards as stock if you want ( nice for potato & leek soup ! )
Hang them in the garage ( assuming no heating )
Max 4 days or they will be tooooooo gamey
Pluck
Cook however you like
Pheasant
Ditto but for 2 days max
Dont bother with the innards unless you are making pate ..
HTH
Gut them
Use the innards as stock if you want ( nice for potato & leek soup ! )
Hang them in the garage ( assuming no heating )
Max 4 days or they will be tooooooo gamey
Pluck
Cook however you like
Pheasant
Ditto but for 2 days max
Dont bother with the innards unless you are making pate ..
HTH
10 Pence Short said:
Properly wild (not the pheasant though). They were shot this morning.
If I'm right I think I should skin the pheasant but pluck the ducks.
Depends what you want to do with them.If I'm right I think I should skin the pheasant but pluck the ducks.
Edited by 10 Pence Short on Thursday 1st November 15:18
If you're roasting the pheasant, you can pluck (and draw) that too. I'd be tempted to pot roast the pheasant and roast the ducks. Pheasants can dry out very easily in the oven and pot roasting prevents this.
You can hang the pheasant for longer (up to about 2 weeks) if you like 'gamier' meat, the 'no more than a week' rule is because ducks have bacteria in them that thrive at lower temperatures due to the fact that ducks live partially in water, which is colder.
Edited by Mark Benson on Thursday 1st November 15:26
Right then, get busy on the internet and learn about REAL Beijing Duck.
They literally eat every single part, brain and feet included and you need to find out how to cook each part in its own way.
Its a speciality but I'm sure the 'net will reveal the ins and outs.
I saw it on telly the other night.
ETA
Read all about it here

They literally eat every single part, brain and feet included and you need to find out how to cook each part in its own way.
Its a speciality but I'm sure the 'net will reveal the ins and outs.
I saw it on telly the other night.

ETA
Read all about it here

Edited by lazyitus on Thursday 1st November 15:33
10 Pence Short said:
I've also got a pheasant, too.
I'm not good at plucking pheasants, at pheasant plucking I get stuckThough some pheasants find it pleasant I'd rather pluck a duck.
Oh plucking geese is gorgeous, I can pluck a goose with ease
But pheasant plucking's torture because they haven't any grease.
The pheasant is now hanging off the outside steps to the flat.
Ducks have been plucked, limbs and head chopped off and the guts ripped out the back end. Managed to burst a gut on one of them, the smell was like being trapped in John Prescott's arsecrack with nothing but rotting blue cheese for company.
Two little prepped ducks now nicely sitting in the fridge!
Ducks have been plucked, limbs and head chopped off and the guts ripped out the back end. Managed to burst a gut on one of them, the smell was like being trapped in John Prescott's arsecrack with nothing but rotting blue cheese for company.
Two little prepped ducks now nicely sitting in the fridge!
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