[kooringa]

This is mainly for my friend - her husband is dispatching the quail and she has never 'done' anything like this before.

I forward a link about dressing a chicken - but it skipped the plucking bit :roll:

I wasn't very good at explaining as I have mainly 'done' game - pheasants, ducks, pigeons - and in the end I found it better to just skin them and remove the breast - and in male pheasants the legs if they were meaty at all

She likes the idea of a nice little quail whole - looks better for recipes.

So if anyone could do a step by step guide that would be brilliant.  Many thanks in advance

[Aunt Sally]

I know nothing about dressing birds kooringa, but I think Babe could make it a nice T-shirt  

[kooringa]

     

[jimroden]

Remember to wash your hands after plucking the bird try not to touch the flesh of the bird after and whilst plucking. Wash your hands really well in an anti bacterial cleaner after drawing the giblet's out.

Allow the Quail to Cool Before You Dress Them!!!!
Step 1:
Tie a short length of rope around the feet of the quail you have dispached cut the jugular to bleed

Step 2:
Use a separate piece of rope for each quail you retrieve. Hanging each bird separately allows the body temperature of each bird to drop. Lower body temperatures are more resistant to bacterial infection.

Step 3:
Avoid hanging  the dead birds to close to each other This allows retention of body heat, which can cause spoilage.

Pluck Each Quail
Step 1:
Pick up a quail by the legs. While holding the legs firmly in one hand, you will begin to pluck feathers with the other hand.

Step 2:
Begin plucking feathers from between the legs of the bird and work your way up towards the head.

Step 3:
Use a strong but steady motion when pulling out feathers. Using a jerky motion can cause the skin to tear.

Step 4:
Pull the feathers down, against the grain (the way the feathers grow). This will help you pull out the entire feather.

Step 5:
Leave the head of each quail feathered.

Gut Each Quail
Step 1:
Cut the bird down the center of the torso. Begin between the bird's legs, and continue up to the base of the neck. Do not cut too deeply, or you may nick an organ and cause a smelly mess.

Step 2:
Pull the bird's cavity open and begin to remove the viscera. Grasp the organs and pull them down and out of the cavity.

Step 3:
Use your knife to cut out any organs that you could not pull out. Cut slowly to avoid injuring yourself.

Step 4:
Wipe down the inside of the cavity with a clean, dry cloth. This will make the cavity a less inviting home for bacteria.

Step 5:
Place a small stick horizontally inside the quail so that it holds the cavity open. This will allow air to circulate and dry the cavity, which is essential to getting the temperature as low as possible.

Jim

[kooringa]

Jim - you are a star - my hero - thank you so very much.  

Is is alright to wear surgical gloves and dispose of them at each stage - (as well as washing hands thoroughly).  I tend to use them a lot in cooking preparation, and gardening etc.

[babe]

I know nothing about dressing birds kooringa, but I think Babe could make it a nice T-shirt  

pink or baby blue    

[jimroden]

Jim - you are a star - my hero - thank you so very much.  

Is is alright to wear surgical gloves and dispose of them at each stage - (as well as washing hands thoroughly).  I tend to use them a lot in cooking preparation, and gardening etc.

yea they will be fine hun
have fun

[kooringa]

Thank you - my hatchlings are only a week old - my friend is due to do hers in a weeks time

Very much appreciated.

I would like to pot the instructions on my website/blog and give credit to you, if you wouldn't mind.

If you agree I will put it on on Monday.

[jimroden]

Thank you - my hatchlings are only a week old - my friend is due to do hers in a weeks time

Very much appreciated.

I would like to pot the instructions on my website/blog and give credit to you, if you wouldn't mind.

If you agree I will put it on on Monday.

You can put it on and there is no need to give me credit