Woodcock .

[spuddog0507]

26 minutes ago, Mark Bolam said:

Bacon’s a must for me when roasting Spuddog, they are so lean they need the extra fat.

I haven’t plucked one for years, I’m a bit idle and wasteful, and prefer them fresh rather than hung.

I normally do the standing on the wings and pulling the legs thing, then dress the breasts only.

Most end up in the slow cooker.

Tough old cocks get curried.

 

Eggs, you would get curried!

had a phase of cooking pheasant in fruit juice once over, and some turned out very good i think best one was equal parts of apple orange and cranberry then make a sause out of juice,

[openspaceman]

1 hour ago, Billhook said:

I am sure that many are buried as the numbers that are shot are so high.

I don't mind admitting that offends my moral sensibilities, it's not that killing upsets me, sometimes it has to be done and that goes for any animal, but the waste...

57 minutes ago, spuddog0507 said:

 dont know what othere people do with them but i just get a  pheasant breast open it up lancashire or chedder cheese inside along with some cranberry wrapp in bacon place on tray in oven for 20-25 mins ,fantastic to eat,,

In the past I roasted them but found them too dry. Now I'm keen to try any recipes while the birds are free. I don't want to over do it as the lead business is a bit worrying but I don't mind freezing the meat for later.

 

I want to get away from plucking them , so maybe a method of skinning them and then only using the breast muscles and legs makes more sense.

 

Last brace I hung for a week, plucked and gutted then fried the birds whole and separately then into the slow cooker with half a jalepino chilli , fried onion, carrots and diced tomatoes.

 

 

[spuddog0507]

4 minutes ago, openspaceman said:

I don't mind admitting that offends my moral sensibilities, it's not that killing upsets me, sometimes it has to be done and that goes for any animal, but the waste...

In the past I roasted them but found them too dry. Now I'm keen to try any recipes while the birds are free. I don't want to over do it as the lead business is a bit worrying but I don't mind freezing the meat for later.

 

I want to get away from plucking them , so maybe a method of skinning them and then only using the breast muscles and legs makes more sense.

 

Last brace I hung for a week, plucked and gutted then fried the birds whole and separately then into the slow cooker with half a jalepino chilli , fried onion, carrots and diced tomatoes.

 

 

skinning then is a doddle, just rip the skin on the breast and pull it off then just use a sharp knife to take the flesh off and then cut leg and thigh off, if you can when you take the feet off try and get the tendons out while bird is still whole,then enjoy ,

[Stubby]

I just breast 'em off  and  bung in the crock pot with a red wine sauce .

[openspaceman]

1 hour ago, Stubby said:

I just breast 'em off  and  bung in the crock pot with a red wine sauce .

Another brace turned up this morning so I'll try just skinning and removing breast and legs.

 

Does anyone  attempt to remove shot first?

 

In the early seventies I was on a very low wage and the boss paid for cartridges for shooting rabbit, we ate so much of  rabbit meat then that now I cannot stand the taste, at this rate pheasant may go the same way.

[felixthelogchopper]

When I first saw the title of this thread, I thought it should be in the chainsaw carving forum . As I've got older I find I tend to shoot only for pest control reasons now, preferring to sit and watch the birds and animals more.

[roboted]

16 hours ago, Mark Bolam said:

Same as Stubby and Spuddog here, I wouldn’t shoot another.

Beautiful birds.

Does seem early, and it’s still very mild.

And another here. Love working my spaniels to flush them, but not to guns.

Magical little birds.

[spuddog0507]

53 minutes ago, openspaceman said:

Another brace turned up this morning so I'll try just skinning and removing breast and legs.

 

Does anyone  attempt to remove shot first?

 

In the early seventies I was on a very low wage and the boss paid for cartridges for shooting rabbit, we ate so much of  rabbit meat then that now I cannot stand the taste, at this rate pheasant may go the same way.

i know where your at on this one, we have a lot of pink footed geese up here and years ago i was out on a regular basis and the freezer was full of goose breasts and legs, now a days i only have a couple of outings over the christmas holidays or late january and just get myself a few for the freezer but no big numbers now,

[Stubby]

45 minutes ago, roboted said:

And another here. Love working my spaniels to flush them, but not to guns.

Magical little birds.

Apparently the Woodcock don't have a "  gamey " smell like pheasant and partridge  so the dogs only stumble upon them really . 

[Baldbloke]

Apparently the Woodcock don't have a "  gamey " smell like pheasant and partridge  so the dogs only stumble upon them really . 

You’re right, but Some dogs are better at finding them than others. Think it’s those with experience.
Woodcock also have great camouflage compared to a cock pheasant so partly rely on that and sometimes lift at your feet.