I've just eaten the best meal I've ever cooked.

[oddman]

1pm start plucking - blimey there's a lot of feathers on a duck

2.30 pm finish plucking with judicious use of blowtorch

3 pm gory bit - heads and feet off. drawing and washing

4pm bacon and onions in a casserole. Brown the pheasant (an old cock) in another pan. Pheasant into the casserole, flame with calvados, some cider chicken stoken and a bit of dijon - into the oven at 150 degrees.
4.20pm Mallard goes in on it's side (orange up it's arse) Main oven 220 degrees
4.30pm G&T
4.40pm Get spuds on. Turn Mallard over pour over some chicken stock and orange juice S&P. Put in Woodcock (wrapped in pancetta)
4.50pm Steam veg over spuds. Make toast
5pm Birds out. Reduce sauces and thicken with beurre manie.
Take innards out of Woodcock chop these put in a pan with lemon juice, brandy S&P.
5.10pm Start carving birds and serving

Roast Mallard with orange sauce
Pheasant with a Dijonish sauce
Woodcock on a crouton spread with a 'pate' made of its offal

Girardin red Burgundy

Applause

7-8pm Make game stock and Rillettes with left over meat, wash up.

[oddman]

I really did start from scratch



All the birds came from the bag from a fantastic day on Angelsey.

I've never eaten woodcock (amazingly good) and had some nasty pheasant and wild duck but today everything was perfect.

Edited by oddman on Sunday 6th December 22:42

Edited by oddman on Sunday 6th December 22:49

[oddman]

Don said:

Where did you shoot on Anglesey? Always nice to hear about the old home area.

Dulas on A5025. Nice set up.

smack said:

Where are the photos?

I thought about it but with 2 hungry kids champing at the bit you just have to crack on