Pheasant Plucking

[ben88]

I/we have come into possession of a pheasant, now we have all intentions of cooking this fairly large bird but have absolutely zero, zilch, no, none, nothing not a sausauge, not even the slightest inkling on how to prepare it.

 

 

so000000ooooo i dont suppose any of you good folk would know how to pluck, draw and gut a pheasant, or be able to point me in the way of a good online guide.

[Guest Finepix]

Clean and dress your birds as soon as possible after the kill. Some people like to take the easy way out by skinning instead of plucking, the bird will be much more juicy and flavorful if you leave the skin on. For easier removal (not recommended by me) place the bird in scalding water for about 30 seconds, then remove feathers. Pull the feathers out in the direction they grow to prevent the skin from tearing. The smaller pinfeathers can be removed singeing them off with a torch or holding over the flame of your stove. When dressing be careful not to break the gall bag attached to the liver. Save the liver, heart, gizzard, and neck for broth or an extra treat. Soak birds overnight in a non metallic container with a mixture of 1 gallon water, 1/4 cup salt, and 2 tablespoons baking soda. Larger, older birds can be parboiled to tenderize. To parboil place in a large pot of boiling water with 1 tablespoon salt, cover and boil until tender, be careful not to overcook. If you are going to store in the freezer for any length of time it is best to piece the bird out and freeze in a plastic container filled with water with a tightly sealed lid.

 

 

Have fun

[Guest NickInTheNorth]

Could try this one:

 

http://www.cookeryonline.com/Game/Preparing%20Game.htm

 

Also bear in mind that a pheasant isactually quite a small bird. They can be cooked quite quickly 20 to 30 minutes is loads of time - provided you like them pink.

[Guest Finepix]

Or this one ...

 

 

 

Preparing Game

 

 

The term cooking is not confined to that process whereby heat is applied to raw food, it applies to all aspects of food preparation, from buying to preparing, through the actual cooking process and finally serving.

 

If the basic ingredients are badly prepared then the dish attempted will never be great. It is therefore essential to spend time in the preparation stage.

 

The preparation, especially of game, is probably the most disconcerting part of a recipe for the majority of people. Of course, the amount of preparation you do will be determined by how you buy the product. If you are buying your rabbit or pigeon “oven ready” then the preparation is limited. If buying direct from a shoot then the workload is obviously greater, but will normally yield a better product.

 

Plucking and Singeing:

 

Hold the bird in one hand with the head away and the breast upwards. Using your free hand, and starting at the neck, grasp a few feathers at a time and, giving a sharp tug towards the head, pull out the feathers. Never try to pull out too many feathers at once. If as you pluck the bird you keep the skin taught then it is less likely to tear the skin.

 

Work your way back along the breasts, then the legs. Tail and wing feathers are much tougher than the others and need to be removed one at a time.

 

Once plucked, the bird then needs to be singed. Even if you are buying an oven ready bird you will still need to singe it, as it would not have been done for you. To singe the bird pass it over an open flame to burn off the fine hairs not removed by plucking.

 

 

Drawing:

 

Lay the bird on its breasts. Pinch the flesh around the neck and make an incision from the base of the neck to two thirds of the way towards the head.

 

Turn the bird on its back. Insert the point of the knife above the neck bone at its base and cut through, cut off the head.

 

Pull the crop away from the skin around the neck. Insert your middle fingers, ease the lungs away from the backbone, and free the windpipe and gullet.

 

Make a slit above the vent. Insert your fore and middle fingers into the slit, hook them around the stomach and pull out the entrails. Cut around the vent and remove.

[Guest NickInTheNorth]

Hi Pixie (as you liked the nickname someone called you )

 

I'm interested in why you say that pheasants should be cleaned a dressed as soon as possible?

 

And what the purpose of the soaking is?

 

Intrigued of Ardgour.

[Guest Finepix]

And of course we can't forget this one - well somebody had to ...

 

'm not a pheasant plucker, I'm a pheasant plucker's son

I'm only plucking pheasants 'till the pheasant plucker comes.

 

Me husband is a keeper, he's a very busy man

I try to understand him and I help him all I can,

But sometimes in an evening I feel a trifle dim

All alone, I'm plucking pheasants, when I'd rather pluck with him.

 

I'm not a pheasant plucker, I'm a pheasant plucker's mate

I'm only plucking pheasants 'cos the pheasant plucker's late !

 

I'm not good at plucking pheasants, at pheasant plucking I get stuck

Though 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.

 

I'm not a pheasant plucker, he has gone out on the tiles

He only plucked one pheasant and I'm sitting here with piles !

 

You have to pluck them fresh, if it’s fresh they’re not unpleasant,

I knew a man in Dunstable who could pluck a frozen pheasant.

They say the village constable had pheasant plucking sessions

With the vicar on a Sunday ‘tween the first and second lessons.

 

I'm not a pheasant plucker, I'm a pheasant plucker's mum

I'm only plucking pheasants 'till the pheasant plucker's come.

 

My good friend Godfrey is most adept, he's really got the knack

He likes to have a pheasant plucked before he hits the sack.

I like to give a helping hand, I gather up the feathers,

It's really all our pheasant plucking keeps us pair together.

 

I'm not a pheasant plucker, I'm a pheasant plucker's friend

I'm only plucking pheasants as a means unto an end !

 

My husband's in the forest always banging with his gun

If he could hear me half the time I'm sure that he would run,

For there's fluff in all my crannies, there's feathers up my nose

And I'm itching in the kitchen from my head down to my toes.

 

I'm not a pheasant plucker, I'm a pheasant plucker's wife

And when we pluck together it's a pheasant plucking life !

 

[ben88]

cheers, since its been hanging for 2 days already i think it might need another day or 2 maybe??

[Guest NickInTheNorth]

where is it hanging? How warm is it?

[Guest Finepix]

Hi Pixie (as you liked the nickname someone called you )

 

I'm interested in why you say that pheasants should be cleaned a dressed as soon as possible?

 

And what the purpose of the soaking is?

 

Intrigued of Ardgour.

 

Look, I don't write the stuff I just like to help

[jeepster]

how long ago did you run it over?