Pheasant plucking!

[John S]

Any part-time butchers or poulterers out there?

 

Today in the pub I was offered a pheasant by one of the regulars and readily agreed to take it (well, it was free ). I was expecting it to be already plucked and with its' insides neatly stored in a plastic bag.... In my dreams!

 

I now have a complete pheasant (shot on Tuesday and hanging until today), and no idea where to start - especially when it comes to de-gutting the thing.

 

Any advice would be welcome

 

Take care

 

[ 15. January 2004, 08:35 PM: Message edited by: John S ]

[Little Tinca]

Don't know a lot about denuding this type of bird but it does remind me of a poem...

 

I'm not a pheasant plucker

I'm a pheasant plucker son

I'm only plucking pheasnts

Till the pheasant plucker comes

 

 

Try saying that a few times fast after a couple of largers

[Little Tinca]

Don't know about saying it I can't even tye the word pheasant right.

I must be a peasant

[RobStubbs]

John,

Pluck the bird first before trying to gut it. I would imagine you'd start around the rear end & work up to the neck. As for gutting just slit open around the 'dirty end' and get your hand in. Try not to be too brutal and damage the guts. It's a long time since I've gutted a pheasant but it isn't too difficult, from what I recall.

 

HTH a little bit

 

Rob.

[Paul_D]

Not doing to well with 'type' either...

 

Interesting one this John, I wouldn't mind being shown how to do this myself. Those Grouse up on the moors are incredibly stupid and many's the time I wish I had a 'Catty' with me....Before anyone says it, I know it's illegal, just kidding.

 

I bought Hugh Fernley wotsisname's 'River Cottage Cookbook' it might be in there. It certainly tells you how to despatch a chicken so I would think it will tell you how to deal with it subsequently.

[Lid]

I was brought up on a farm and regularly dealt with pheasants, rabbits and pigeons. Pheasants are irritatingly hard to pluck, but dressing (gutting) is straightforward.

 

Some people only pluck the breast and then slice the breast meat off carefully, before discarding the rest of the bird. Not a bad idea if you've got lots to do, but I'm sure you'd prefer the whole bird.

 

Don't bother hanging it any longer, especially in our now warmer winters. Pluck it outside or somewhere where you can make a mess.

 

Do the body first and only pull out a few feathers at a time or you'll rip the skin. Start with one or two only and build up as you get confidence. Pull in the direction of growth to start with and get a feel for how much force you can exert without wrecking the skin. I am afraid it will take a while.

 

The legs are the same really, but wings are harder because of the big feathers for flying and the tiny feathers on the flesh. Just remember that you will be cutting off a fair part of the wing, so only pluck about two thirds of them starting nearest the body. The big feathers are best tackled one at a time when you are a beginner.

 

When you've done that, I'll post how to dress it, but first I'm going to do web search to see if I can find a description of this already written somewhere.

[les middy]

john

 

don't pluck it skin it instead

 

 

lay it on it's back pull a bit of skin off it's breast and with a pointed knife make a hole/slit in the skin

then put your fingers in and open the skin up when you get to the legs cut them off at the knees and pull the skin over them work it up the back of the bird to the wings and cut through the wing bones then up to the head when you get to the neck cut that as well all feathers and head in nice little bundle throw it

 

then cut the skin between the breast and rear end

(was going to put ar*e )

then stick your hand in and pull the guts out wash the inside under the tap cut the neck out and the rear end

 

then lay in a roasting tin with some fat bacon on the breast to keep it moist and roast on medium heat till done.. luvley

 

done hundreds like that

 

les

[nursejudy]

good luck you could always try

 

http://www.gametoeat.co.uk/recipe.php?rid=32

judy

[Lid]

Personally I don't like them skinned, but it is a quicker option and should be fine as les says. I think the dressing the bird has mostly been covered now.

 

When removing the head and neck, the crop is usually evident and has some food in it. Try and slice between the crop which is at the end of the neck and the body, without hacking into the breast meat.

 

When cutting the backend open to remove guts, don't cut too far towards the body, or you'll slice open some entrails and make a right mess and stink. When removing guts, you need to get right up to the neck and where you will find the heart and lungs, which should be removed too.

 

Have fun and I hope it tastes good.

[nigelnibbles]

les middy:

john

 

don't pluck it skin it instead

 

 

done hundreds like that

 

les

always done mine that way, its esier, never mind what the purist say, used to get a lot on the underground out in the sticks, yourve heard of road kill, well these were "train kill" or just stunned sometimes so you had to despatch them yourself.