Roasts

[Pferdestarke]

I love a good roast chicken and believe it's one of the most appetising dishes to serve. Crisp salty skin, juicy flesh within, bones to gnaw at.

Although I have felt the urge I've never roasted quail, woodcock, pigeon, pheasant etc and really want to try.

Have any of you gastronomes done so and what are they like compared to chicken?

Edited by Pferdestarke on Friday 31st July 21:01

[gopher]

pigeon is a dark meat, only had the breast - quite a dark meat, almost red - quite a lot of flavour more so than the dark meat of a chicken and reasonably gamey , quite rich couldn't eat a huge amount but good flavour.

Pheasant - about the same amount of flavour as the dark good meat of chicken but on the breast, about the same colour but can be as dry, like a chicken breast. The underside, darker meat is very tasty without being too oily, although this can depend on cooking method.

Quail - just lovely - a bit bony and not much meat but sweet, succulent and tasty - make an excellent starter,

[OnTheOverrun]

Personally I only really think birds the size of chickens and up benefit from roasting. Try a roasting goose - delicious.

[Mobile Chicane]

Roast game is something I'd have in a restaurant, since (I don't think) a domestic oven gets hot enough to 'seal' the meat on the outside while it remains pink and juicy within.

However quails work well under the grill. I marinate them first in tamari, pomegranate syrup and cinnamon.

[Urban_Ninja]

roast beef, turkey, chicken, all good.

better if there on the same plate

[condor]

With a pheasant, stick pieces of apple in the cavity and roast breast down for approx 40 mins at 180deg C. Then use the 'cooked' apple mashed in with the gravy.

Pigeon breast fillets - just slice thinly and pan ( stir) fry for a couple of minutes. They need very little cooking time.

[grumbledoak]

I've tried all of those! (Not bragging as such; the OH doesn't eat red meat and I need a bit of variety.) If you don't have a good local butcher, Waitrose sells them in season, either whole or in bits.

Raw game has a much more powerful smell than chicken, and a more powerful taste when cooked. It can be worth sealing the bird quickly in a pan before roasting or, if you buy breasts, just pan fry them.