Pheasant for Christmas

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Pheasant for Christmas
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LynneA

Joined: 25 Oct 2006
Posts: 4893
Location: London N21

Posted: Sat Dec 15, 07 4:38 pm Post subject:
We had pheasant on Christmas Day last year. A college classmate had a friend who was a forest ranger out in darkest Essex and had a freezer load to give away. Was a novice dog's first retrieve so was a little extra "tenderised" in places. But it was enough for the two of us and made a good risotto for Boxing Day.

Brownbear

Joined: 28 May 2007
Posts: 14929
Location: South West

Posted: Sat Dec 15, 07 7:54 pm Post subject:

The Game Licence for England and Wales has been abolished. One may lawfully take any game one finds upon ones own land - even if it has wandered across into your garden from the shoot next door, it matters not. Anythong on ones own property may be lawfully taken.

Pheasant and other game may lawfully be taken out of season, if they are causing damage to crops or property and other methods short of killing have been tried and found wanting.

Green Rosie

Joined: 13 May 2007
Posts: 10498
Location: Calvados, France

Posted: Sat Dec 15, 07 9:00 pm Post subject:

gil wrote:

I'd freeze it too - just that bit too long till 25th.

My Dad used to hang pheasants for AGES - until they were green. He said it made them taste better. It has put me off them for life.

Although I have to say, Woodsprite's method for cooking one sounds good enough for me to give pheasant another go sometime.

And on the subject of running them over, I was always told it was illegal to pick up any pheasant you ran over - but OK to pick up one run over by some-one else. Is this right or just a myth?

jamanda
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35057
Location: Devon

Posted: Sun Dec 16, 07 10:21 pm Post subject:
I think that's right about deer. Not so sure about pheasant.

Green Rosie

Joined: 13 May 2007
Posts: 10498
Location: Calvados, France

Posted: Sun Dec 16, 07 10:42 pm Post subject:
Luckily I have never run over a deer

pricey

Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Posts: 6444

Posted: Mon Dec 17, 07 7:43 pm Post subject:

Green Rosie wrote:

Luckily I have never run over a deer

You need a Opel Ascona 1.9 sr, and a mini van

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Tue Dec 18, 07 11:34 am Post subject:
Pheasants are fetching 5 pence less each than woodpigeons at the game dealers at presnt and woodys are going for 25 pence

mochyn

Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales

Posted: Tue Dec 18, 07 11:49 am Post subject:
Bodge: send me a few brace! Where were you two on Saturday? Missed you!

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Tue Dec 18, 07 12:53 pm Post subject:
I think an easy to carve pheasant is selling for �5-�6 in Waitrose at the moment.

bernie-woman

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 7824
Location: shropshire

Posted: Tue Dec 18, 07 3:32 pm Post subject:

I have never roasted a pheasant myself before, I always tend to casserole them - I have recently watched a re-run of one of Delias Christmas shows where she was roasting pheasant and explained that only young birds should be roasted and she said that you can tell the age of the bird by the length of the spur on the back of its feet - there lies the problem - I have two in the freezer without feet

Does it make that much difference, or shall I casserole the two in the freezer and go and have a look at the feet on the ones hanging in the butcher

woodsprite

Joined: 20 Mar 2006
Posts: 2943
Location: North Herefordshire

Posted: Tue Dec 18, 07 4:59 pm Post subject:

BW I was just about to add a caveat to my previous post but you beat me to it!

The old country folk (my family included) roast pheasant up until midwinter and casserole after. If you get a really large bird before midwinter, casserole it, its probably one of the previous seasons birds and it'll be as tough as old boots.
By the by, tonights dinner is woodcock......I love having a son who's a keeper.

KILLITnGRILLIT

Joined: 14 Sep 2006
Posts: 894
Location: Looking at a screen in the front room

Posted: Tue Dec 18, 07 10:47 pm Post subject:

woodsprite wrote:

By the by, tonights dinner is woodcock......I love having a son who's a keeper.

Jammy git, woodcocks my fave MMmmmmmm

.

joanne

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 7100
Location: Morecambe, Lancashire

Posted: Wed Dec 19, 07 11:06 am Post subject:
Hopefully we may be getting a couple of braces of pheasant this weekend - a friend of my Dads is beating this weekend - so that may be our Christmas dinner as well - be the first time I've ever plucked and drawn anything so I hope I do it right

joanne

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 7100
Location: Morecambe, Lancashire

Posted: Mon Dec 24, 07 9:50 pm Post subject:

Well we ended up with 3 brace of Cock Pheasants which I've just finished plucking and drawing - I didn't think I'd ever manage it as I've never done it before but despite the fact they don't look quite as tidy as they should do - I've not done a bad job even if I say so myself

1 has been completely boned out as that one is going inside the boned out Turkey along with the chestnut stuffing - the rest have gone in the freezer for New Year

And they cost me the princely sum of a box of home-made Choccies

frewen

Joined: 08 Sep 2005
Posts: 11405

Posted: Mon Dec 24, 07 10:44 pm Post subject:
I boned out a turkey once. It must have been about 10 years ago. I don't remember it being much fun but the memory is fading enough now for me to give it another go. I seem to remember doing it because I couldn't carve

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