I'm not a pheasant plucker....

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I'm not a pheasant plucker....
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Downsizer Forum Index -> Shooting and Trapping for the Pot

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dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46212
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Dec 11, 06 5:12 pm Post subject:
my method is cut off wings ,head ,dog em skin them gut em stew or wrap in streaky bacon and roast

KILLITnGRILLIT

Joined: 14 Sep 2006
Posts: 894
Location: Looking at a screen in the front room

Posted: Mon Dec 11, 06 7:17 pm Post subject:
Try here - https://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=14621 Hope it helps !

Blue Sky

Joined: 30 Jan 2005
Posts: 7658
Location: France

Posted: Mon Dec 11, 06 7:56 pm Post subject:

Hot pluck - that is how we do our ducks. Just get a big pan of boiling water on and keep em dunking. They feathers just about fall out.

Not used this method on anything else to date but Pricey has recently told me he does chickens the same way. We have 2 ducks (Christmas dinner) and four Guinee Fowl to do next week so the pot will soon be boiling. I'm asuming the guinee fowl will be similar to pheasants so will report on how we get on.

Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Mon Dec 11, 06 8:03 pm Post subject:
Got two cocks in the shed at the moment. To be honest i usually just de breast them which is a bit of a waste I'll admit. Might try Sally's skinning method though.

KILLITnGRILLIT

Joined: 14 Sep 2006
Posts: 894
Location: Looking at a screen in the front room

Posted: Mon Dec 11, 06 9:30 pm Post subject:
This is a method that gives the crown and wingsleaving the rest for the dogs/ferrets. A bit wasteful for me but,horses for courses. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOOrcIZImmE

leebu

Joined: 23 Nov 2004
Posts: 418
Location: east yorkshire

Posted: Mon Dec 11, 06 10:13 pm Post subject:
Sally's way is definitely the one to go for, there's nothing worse than spending an age plucking a pheansant to find out it is actually rather fatty and unappetising (all too common these days ubfortunately). I'd rather skin and add my own fat for cooking thanks all the same Takes a tenth of the time as well, 'specially if you likle your birds to have hung a bit.

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Mon Dec 11, 06 11:39 pm Post subject:
Has anyone tried plucking them fresh & then hanging?

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46212
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Dec 11, 06 11:56 pm Post subject:
whole is best

gil
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18415

Posted: Tue Dec 12, 06 4:26 pm Post subject:

judith wrote:

That's odd. Usually when they've been hanging a while, the innards shrink a bit. Do you detach all the gubbins at the top end after cutting the neck away before you go in at the bottom end? If that makes any sense.

The innards seemed closer welded to the carcass than usual, oddly enough. And yes, I did detach the top end thoroughly before making a start on the bottom end. Maybe that one was just a tight fit !

Nice and lean, though not that large.

I want to roast it whole, so skin was required (probably with extra bacon after the mess I made of it).

Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Tue Dec 12, 06 4:28 pm Post subject:
I've decided to skin mine and try a chopped mixture of bacon and mushrooms (with some butter and seasoning) as a replacement 'skin'

quixote

Joined: 26 Oct 2006
Posts: 198

Posted: Fri Dec 15, 06 8:56 pm Post subject:

You'll always find that the breast feathers ('church window' feathers) are the hardest to remove without tearing the skin. The legs, flanks, neck above the crop, & back are the easiest. I tend to hold the bird in one hand, breast uppermost, using the wings folded underneath as a 'handle'. That way, you can use the left thumb to apply tension to the skin of the breast by drawing it towards you, & the right hand to pluck one or two of the breast feathers at a time (no more than that, or tearing the skin is inevitable!!!). I also find that if you give the feathers a sharp but gentle pull towards the neck, then a 'jerk' towards the tail brings them out with little problem. Once the majority of the bird's done, just cut off the wings. There's very little worthwhile meat on them. It takes me about 20 minutes to pluck each bird, no way round it I'm afraid!

As for the crop & windpipe? Use your fingers to separate the skin from around the crop. I find 'walking' my fingers around betwen the crop & skin helps it to separate (if that makes sense?) & then use the fore & middle fingers to 'draw' the crop towards the back of the bird until you can remove the entire thing (including contents). Then I usually make a lateral cut above the vent, & remove the innards. the vent can be cut away with the parsons nose prior to rinsing.

Hope this helps a little?

gil
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18415

Posted: Mon Dec 18, 06 1:08 pm Post subject:
Useful info, thanks Quixote.

mochyn

Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales

Posted: Mon Dec 18, 06 1:39 pm Post subject:
I took sally's advice and skinned them: worked really well. The breasts are now in the freezer and the other meaty bits are currently cooking in a pate. Along with chicken livers, bits of rabbit, pork, rum...

Lorrainelovesplants

Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Posts: 6521
Location: Dordogne

Posted: Tue Jan 16, 07 7:10 pm Post subject:

Pheasants.
We have got pally with an old guy in the village. He regularly gets given a brace of pheasant, and cant use them all. So we said sort them out, gut them, pluck etc, and we'll give you a quid each.
Works a charm!
We now regularly swap pheasants for free range eggs.
He's a mine of information too.
Everyone happy - he feels he's making a bit, were getting info and a decent meal, AND THE KIDS LOVE IT!(We thought we'd have to disguise it, but no, they love it as a treat!)

Lorraine

mochyn

Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales

Posted: Wed Jan 17, 07 11:19 am Post subject:
We ate them at the weekend: pheasant breasts casseroled with mushrooms in a whitish sauce. Yummy!

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