Game birds

[steveo]

Four pheasants for a tenner in Herne Hill

Woosh!

[LondonLogCo]

Lovely eh Stevo!

Try the wild Mallard too.

Now, how do you cook them ?

[womanofdulwich]

that wild mallard is the only time I have not been able to eat game. It is strong stuff-.

[LondonLogCo]

Indeed WOD, not for the feignt hearted.

I saw a deer laying by the roadside on the A24 nr Box Hill today, sadly nowhere to pull over safely to pick it up.

[Gidget]

I would rather have a burger from Burger Bear Tom. Excellent burger from the Pexmas Christmas Fair. Sometimes he is to be found outside Flock and Herd Butchery in Bellenden Road. Holy F**k sauce is also available.

[womanofdulwich]

steveo - how did you cook your pheasants? they are great value but I dont know how to stop them being dry. Did you casaserole them?

[aquarius moon]

Sainsburys & Tesco regularly do offers on Quorn (3 for ?5), so much kinder to animals & a lot healthier.

Do you people never feel guilty about eating pheasants & mallards?

Only ask because a lot of people don't actually think about what they are eating (eg living creatures) because they have grown up thinking it's ok.

It's not ok.

My christmas dinner will be animal/bird free, consist of meat alternatives & I can have a good night sleep knowing that I'm not contributing to the murder of living things.

[richard tudor]

Enjoy

[maxxi]

My Yuletide luncheon will consist of animals and vegetables and minerals.

It IS ok.

Ok and fucking delicious.

ETA: My first thought was that this thread was market research on behalf of the young fellow offering 'Man Services'...

[LondonLogCo]

I eat dead things

But I rest easy

Each to their own !

[steveo]

Usually it's in the pot with them but foolishly I opted to roast and they were indeed tough. However the remains are currently making a hearty stew so all is not lost.

It all started so well.

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/file.php?20,file=72237

[Lowlander]

aquarius moon Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Sainsburys & Tesco regularly do offers on Quorn (3

> for ?5), so much kinder to animals & a lot

> healthier.

> Do you people never feel guilty about eating

> pheasants & mallards?

> Only ask because a lot of people don't actually

> think about what they are eating (eg living

> creatures) because they have grown up thinking

> it's ok.

>

> It's not ok.

>

> My christmas dinner will be animal/bird free,

> consist of meat alternatives & I can have a good

> night sleep knowing that I'm not contributing to

> the murder of living things.

Quorn is a highly processed food, questionable both from heath and corporate ethics stances. If you want to be truly veggie (like 1/3 of India for instance) then stick to natural pulses, dairy, eggs and tofu.

[Jeremy]

aquarius moon, of course people realise that meat comes from living creatures. We are comfortable with that. Condescension will not help.

['bout now]

Nor will the X-factor

[aquarius moon]

Not condescending at all. I was brought up in a meat eating family & thought nothing of it, because I didn't actually THINK. Meat was in my dinner & it never even occured to me to wonder where it came from.

It's only when I got older that I actually stopped to think about it. I loved animals/had pets etc, yet I was eating them. Bit hypocritical I thought, so I stopped.

There are a lot of people who do the same without actually THINKING about what they are eating.

Hence my post.

'Bout now', What has the X-factor got to do with this thread??

[Salsaboy]

If we weren't meant to eat cows, why are they made of meat?

[Jeremy]

We're all adults here, as far as I know. We know what meat is!

[Annette Curtain]

AQM

You may have grown up in a Findus fueled food vacuum. But many people eat game because of its-very-much-aliveness prior to shooting, I work in the country half the time during the winter, seeing game birds everywhere. To eat them, knowing where and how they've lived is an absolute joy.

It's up front, honest, visceral and very healthy.

[aquarius moon]

AC,

To be honest, I don't think you & I are ever going to agree on anything!!

[Lowlander]

Anyway where in Herne Hill can I buy pheasants?

[Annette Curtain]

aquarius moon Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> AC,

>

> To be honest, I don't think you & I are ever going

> to agree on anything!!

Well maybe we can both agree that:

Peasants are for sale in Herne Hill on a Sunday, 4 for ?10 at the Farmers market.

See, not so far apart after all.

[peckhamboy]

Annette Curtain Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> aquarius moon Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > AC,

> >

> > To be honest, I don't think you & I are ever

> going

> > to agree on anything!!

>

>

> Well maybe we can both agree that:

>

> Peasants are for sale in Herne Hill on a Sunday, 4

> for ?10 at the Farmers market.

>

> See, not so far apart after all.

Would you put those in a casserole as well? And for the love of God will someone tell us where to buy these damn pheasants?

[Annette Curtain]

No p-boy

I'd put the "Peasants (that) are for sale in Herne Hill on a Sunday, 4 for ?10 at the Farmers market" in a Pot Roast.

Nigel Slater's recipe of "Peasant with Sage and celery" is very good. I add Chorizo and cayenne and a larger sloosh of Vermouth, plus 750 ml of organic chicken stock.

After sweating off the veg in the Chorizo rendered oil/fat mix, add the stock & vermouth toward the end, prior to adding the bird/s.

Brown the bird/s in butter & oil lightly all round, but be extra attentive on the legs and lighter on the breast area. The legs need more cooking than the breast, which is why some find the bird tough or dry. Cooking the legs prior to dropping into the hot veg and rolling stock balances up the cooking rates of each area.

I'm also inclined to place the bird breast down into the stock, then cover loosley with a baking paper Cartouche.

30 minutes covered at 170c, then take the pot out, uncover the bird & turn over. A sharp knife eases the legs from the junction of the carcass, leaving the legs splayed slightly more.

You'll notice the meat is still pink and running at this point, so place back in the HOT oven, breast up and uncovered for a further 7-10 mins. Rest with the lid half off-serve with Quince or Medlar Jelly.

I'm more inclined to have a pinker-rare meat than over done and dry.

The mistake with Game Birds is to treat them like Chicken, they just don't have the same properties. I fridge mature mine in a stainless bowl for up to a week, lightly rub with oil and loose covered with baking or silicon paper.

Thanks for asking !

[david_carnell]

Meanwhile in Chez Carnell we eat phesant gypsy style.

Brown your pheasant all over and set aside.

Do the same to two onions.

Then line a casserole dish with slices of good quality white bread. Then chop one cooking and one eating apple, place some on the bread and some in the pheasant cavity.

Slice 3 rashers of streaky bacon and scatter over the apple and bread. Place another two rashers over the pheasant.

Sprinkle some thyme leaves over the bread, apple, bacon mix.

Put the pheasant back in the casserole dish and pour over 250ml of white wine or cider.

Cook on a low heat for 2 hours until meat is tender and falling off the bone. Slosh in a small amount of brandy at the end. The bread and cooking apple will all have melted into a delcious sauce.

Serve with potatoes of your choice and something green and leafy.

[Salsaboy]

Do you have to sit in a caravan to eat it?