[Fenland Girl]

My OH just went out for fish and chips and came back with a pheasant! My neighbour has been on a shoot today and kept one for us! Not having drawn, plucked or otherwise prepared a pheasant (or indeed any other bird) for the table before, has anyone got any tips? We've hung it in the shed for now.

[WG.]

Strange chippies down your way!

Leave it, with feathers and guts, in the shed for a week.  Hang by the neck.  Indeed, the old way was to leave them until they fell down leaving the head hanging. Yuch.

Easiest way then is to skin rather than pluck.

[Sally A]

I went to a darts match once and came back with a puppy.
I remember my dad plucking one once - feathers bloomin' everywhere, but I wouldn't know where the start.

PS - keep a couple of the pretty feathers for yer hat, makes you look right countryfied.

[gobs]

Unless you want to learn plucking, easiest is to go with WG's advice.

Plucking, well, you get better with practice:
- boiling hot big bowl of water, submerge bird for few seconds, pick out, pluck fast as can, repeat till done, you don't want to cook it, you gotta be fast

- scorch remaining tiny feathers over open fire, so you don't get burnt feather smell and taste with your roast like in the supie

[Aunt Sally]

Leave it, with feathers and guts, in the shed for a week.  Hang by the neck.

 :shock: OMG it will be rotten by then  :!:

[Fenland Girl]

Will it be very gamey after a week? Don't like it too strong! Also I won't be able to roast it if I skin it, will I? I suppose it would be better casseroled. Oh dear, it's the gutting I'm not looking forward to :roll:

[Bodger]

Pheasant plucking advice .

Step 1
See if you can con someone else into accepting it as a gift.

Step 2
If this fails, prepare to pluck it. Pluck and draw your pheasant before it starts to stink.

Step 3
Cook and eat your pheasants while they are fresh. Remember , only wierdos want to eat rotten food.

Step 4
Never let your OH go to the chippy unaccompanied again.

Step 4
Don't eat too many chips

[Fenland Girl]

Step 4
Never let your OH go to the chippy unaccompanied again. quote]

  My 3 yr old son was with him - he's training him in doing dodgy deals.  

[Bodger]

     

[Aunt Sally]

I agree with all Bodgers points

Especially 3).

[Fat Hen]

I once got one from a rugby playing pal who'd been invited to a fancy shoot.  "Hang it for 10 days" he said.  So I did (in a town flat),  when I went to pluck it, I pulled on tail feathers first and all its inards fell out ( and somewhat rank they were too).  Ended up binning it.

Last year I hit one with the car so stopped & had to "despatch" it, I popped it in the boot and took it home, remembering my previous experience as I drove home I resolved to give it away, a Nepalese friend got it (he was the first through the door he had it fresh & curried.

Personally I prefer to by them "oven ready" from my local supermarket.

Good Luck    

[gobs]

The last time I had them, they were hung from about 9 in the morning, when I left till early afternoon when I found them on the door handle on my return. They were lovely.

[SnooziSuzi]

I went to a darts match once and came back with a puppy.
I remember my dad plucking one once - feathers bloomin' everywhere,

 :shock:  your dad plucked a puppy :!:  :!:  :?:  :?:

[gobs]

I went to a darts match once and came back with a puppy.
I remember my dad plucking one once - feathers bloomin' everywhere,

 :shock:  your dad plucked a puppy :!:  :!:  :?:  :?:

Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

[SnooziSuzi]

I went to a darts match once and came back with a puppy.
I remember my dad plucking one once - feathers bloomin' everywhere,

 :shock:  your dad plucked a puppy :!:  :!:  :?:  :?:

Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

LOL!