Adrian taught me to pluck pheasants, ducks and pigeons. He had learnt from his granny when he was little. I clearly remember the first time I plucked one and gutted it – it can be quite gruesome. I think it is a good skill to have, as wild game birds are abundant in autumn and winter and are a sustainable source of meat; they are also delicious, so if you can master basic butchery you will be ready and able.
01 If your game is fresh, you can hang it somewhere cool for a few days to intensify the flavour. If the weather is warm or the birds have lots of obvious shot and blood, pluck them straight away.
02 Lay down newspaper and have a bin bag open to put the feathers straight into. Start with the breast, plucking in pinching motions moving over the skin, pulling the feathers out in the direction they grow. Pull the skin taut with one hand to avoid tearing and pluck with the other. The larger top feathers will come away easily and the lower downy ones are a bit more stubborn.
03 Pluck the whole breast, a little way up the neck, the wings up to the first joint, down the legs and all around the back. It takes me about twenty minutes to do a whole bird. Pull the feathers out of any shot wounds as best you can.
04 Cut off the head, the wings near the body and the legs at the base where the feathers finish using a very sharp knife or gaming shears and wooden board. At the neck end you may encounter seeds and leaves stored in the ‘crop’. Scrape it out and discard all the feathers and mess.
05 Face the bird towards you, breast-side up, and make an incision, widening the vent hole. Be careful to only cut the outer skin as you don’t want to puncture the guts; it doesn’t smell great!
06 Insert your first two fingers and reach towards the back of the cavity, over the top of all the innards. Then once at the back scoop down and pull everything gently towards you. You are aiming for the whole ‘pluck’ to come out at once. Scoop back in just to check you’ve got everything.
07 Rinse the whole bird clean under the tap, then dry off with kitchen roll. You are now an amateur butcher.
