Eating dead stuff from the garden

[Jonny69]

There's a dead wood pigeon in the garden. Looks fresh. Wound on one side. Eyes nice and bright. Would you? She won't let me but I might go and gut and feather it while she's not looking.

 

[Jonny69]

Plucked and butchered. That was enlightening

Doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it at all. No stink. Not sure where the scrape came from but it doesn't seem to smell infected at all and it was underneath the bird so the meat doesn't appear to be affected. I didn't gut it but I did accidentally cut into the back of the gut and it's chock full of seed and stuff that it's been eating.

The comedy thing was my downstairs neighbour just returned back after a few years away and walked in just as I was swinging the cleaver to take the feet off. I was like, er, try and ignore what I'm doing

 

[Jonny69]

Ahh well, it seems to be fine then. Must admit, ive also had some strange looks from the neighbours when ive been preparing game.

I checked it over pretty well. No signs that any flies have got to it because there aren't any holes and there wasn't anything buzzing round it at all. I did plenty of sniff tests and it all smells ok.

Pics or it didn't happen

Butchered. See where I nicked the gut at the bottom of the carcass:

The only visual damage was some grazing underneath behind the legs. It didn't seem to be infected at all and was dry with no smell:

Cleaned up and got rid of any remnants of feathers:

I had planned chicken pie tonight, so this is tomorrow night's dinner

 

[Jonny69]

Even though the thought of it makes me cringe, I kind of agree with you and would like to have a go at conquering the fear, I live in the midst of an abundance of wild game so it wouldn't be difficult, even had a wild deer in the garden the other night, not sure I'd go that far though it looked far too beautiful to kill!

This is the second whole animal I've tackled. Last year Freefaller brought me a whole pheasant from a shoot his friend had been on and I decided to hang it for a week and prepare it myself because I'd been wanting to for some time. It was a humbling experience and something I've not forgot, and I respected the meat I'd prepared because I'd seen 'who' it had come from. I have to admit, tonight, I've had a stiff drink as a nerve steadier because I'm buzzing somewhat but it's just because I'm not used to preparing whole animals. This is also the first time I'm cooking something I've found, so I won't be eating it pink in the middle just in case, but with the pheasant I felt obliged to make a decent meal of it out of respect. It's quite a different feeling to pulling open a packet of chicken thighs, or even a whole chicken.

I see you've distracted your missus somehow. Do you think she'll notice after tomorrows dinner?

Haha, she's veggie and was hiding in the bedroom! But, secretly, I think she has no problem with me eating wild food since it's technically a lot more ethical than mass produced meat

 

[Jonny69]

Nicely done but a massive waste of time - like I said, just breast out or crown a pigeon - there's not enough meat on the legs, wings or the rest of the body to bugger about like you have - whip the breast off/out and bin the rest

Not enough meat... for you or for me? Plenty for me and I eat the legs and wings on pigeons

Tonight I'm thinking mash potato with lots of butter and spinach. Nervous: yes. But you only live once eh

 

[Jonny69]

I'd like to publicly admit that this was absolutely delicious. I don't know what they feed country pigeons on, but the ones that live in town are slightly more mellow in taste

I decided to cut my risks by only eating the breasts, so the legs and wings are in the freezer for later! On the plate is a nice pile of buttered spinach on the left; on the right is baby new potato sautéed with lardons from my own home-cured bacon, green beans, garlic and balsamic vinegar; the pigeon is simply pan-fried in the fat from the lardons and well seasoned. I didn't cook it too pink just in case.

If it's my last meal, I loved it

 

[Jonny69]

I made it! I'm alive

 

[Jonny69]

Hahaha, seem to be holding out ok. Just got to make it through tomorrow and I should be good for holiday without any spurious travel insurance claims

 

[Jonny69]

Not as strong as other game like pheasant or wild rabbit. It's quite a nice taste actually, sort of between lamb and beef but without any fattiness because it's very lean

 

[Jonny69]

Hey what about seagulls?

I've heard they taste fishy. No idea if it's true or not

 

[Jonny69]

I passed a dead magpie last night. Probably bounced off a car. I probably should have, shouldn't I

 

[Jonny69]

Don't know if that counts if it's dead does it?