Favorite Game? Bird, That Is

[weinoo]

Recently, I've been playing around a bit with partridge. And I have 8 quail in my freezer. Living in close proximity to Chinatown, these birds are a decent price (I think).

For instance, around $6 for the partridge and $2 - $3 per quail. It looks like squab are slightly more expensive than partridge.

I've cooked the partridge by brining for a few hours and roasting in a moderately hot oven (around 400 F) and they were delicious. Legs slightly chewy, to be sure, but delicious none the less.

What's your favorite game bird, and how do you cook it?

[sheepish]

Grouse. Either carpaccio of the breast, or roasted fast with back fat over the breast, removed for the last couple of minutes to brown. Served nice and pink.

Partridge I like very much spatchcocked, marinaded with oil, lemon, onion and a pinch of cayenne, then barbequeued.

[kayb]

Dove, the breast portion only. Parboiled in salted water, then wrapped in bacon and grilled. Preferably on the first Saturday in September, the opening day of dove season, and accompanied by potato salad, baked beans and coleslaw, and catfish. (Why catfish? In case the hunters didn't have a good morning.) I have helped clean upwards of 500 dove between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. after a big hunt.

You can do wild duck breast the same way, but I prefer to lightly dredge mine in flour, pan-fry to golden brown, then pour red wine halfway up the side of the breasts and simmer until it's gone; then I add beef or veal broth and simmer another few minutes. I remove the breasts, add dried cherries, reduce, and serve as a pan sauce.

[Peter the eater]

$6 for the partridge

Wow. My guy sells a single partridge or a six pack of quail for $15-20.

Flavorwise, I'll take the quail. Roasted whole, with bacon.

[ChrisTaylor]

Quail. Rubbed generously with a herb butter and given a quick blast in the oven. Salty. Greasy. The irony note of the meat. The herb and garlic notes. Could eat those all day.

[robirdstx]

Wow. I wonder if the quail I bought last week were mismarked. I bought a six-pack of Plantation Quail brand 4-5 oz whole birds for $6.99 at my local asian market. Maybe I need to go back and stock up before they change the price.

Anyway, I've never had quail before and am open for cooking suggestions. I had thought of doing a couple whole in the deep-fryer and some spatchcocked on the grill.

[sheepish]

Not sure about the US, but quail isn't really classed as game in the UK. It's commonly reared in very cramped conditions. So in terms of price variation, perhaps provenance is everything? A red leg partridge is about £5-£6. Grey legs closer to £10.

[suzilightning]

growing up it was whatever we were able to shoot - and clean and remove all the shot

wild duck - breast parboiled then roasted - usually beared or draped in salt pork/bacon. use the rest of the bird to make a stock.

pheasant - my FAVORITE. roast then use the bones and the wing tips for more stock. or breast them out - use the rest for more stock - and make parmigana with the pounded breast. it is freakin' heaven.

quail - brine, spatchcock and grill

partridge - see above or roast with some fat and some fruit

[plum tart]

My fave are squab cooked according to the Zuni Cafe Cookbook recipe. I have tried other recipes - Italian, Asian etc but they all overcook them. The Zuni Cafe method is delish!!!

[rmillman]

D'Artagnan is currently offering 20% off game birds with free shipping on order over $100

[Ben Hong]

I am veteran wingshooter, and I travel with my bird dogs pretty well all over

North America...eastern Canada(ruffed grouse, woodcock),Saskatchewan (hungarian partridge, sharp tail grouse) Kansas, Nebraska(quail, pheasant) Manitoba(waterfowl) etc.Being a hunter has spoiled me, because there is nothing, no raised game bird , that will ever taste as good as the birds in my freezer. But my birds are costly, probably in the vicinity of $25.00 per ounce, factoring in gas, dog food, vet bills (porcupine quillage) airline tickets, guns and ammo, food and libations, license fees, accommodations, wear and tear on mechanical and human equipment, etc...etc...etc...

As for cooking wild birds, I have found that the KISS method is best in most cases.

If dry heat or frying is involved, the meat MUST be rare.

[plum tart]

I am veteran wingshooter, and I travel with my bird dogs pretty well all over

North America...eastern Canada(ruffed grouse, woodcock),Saskatchewan (hungarian partridge, sharp tail grouse) Kansas, Nebraska(quail, pheasant) Manitoba(waterfowl) etc.Being a hunter has spoiled me, because there is nothing, no raised game bird , that will ever taste as good as the birds in my freezer. But my birds are costly, probably in the vicinity of $25.00 per ounce, factoring in gas, dog food, vet bills (porcupine quillage) airline tickets, guns and ammo, food and libations, license fees, accommodations, wear and tear on mechanical and human equipment, etc...etc...etc...

As for cooking wild birds, I have found that the KISS method is best in most cases.

If dry heat or frying is involved, the meat MUST be rare.

My father was a hunter when I grew up in the interior of BC and I agree, there is nothing like the taste of fresh game. I was particularly fond of partridge. Pheasant was good too but I still dream about eating wild partridge cooked by my mother in a wine sauce in front of the fireplace. Nothing since then can match that particular meal.

When I lived in Montreal, we were able to get a fresh live hare from a market on Rue St. Laurent. It had feasted on juniper berries and all sort of other wild things. I prepared following a haesenpheffer recipe (spelling may not be right) and it was delicious too.

Farmed game just doesn't have the flavour that wild game has.

[DerekW]

Uh, Quail are a bar-snack, aren't they? At our house, anyway; Roasted with a bit of preserved lemon inside, salt-rubbed. Mmmm.

As a bonus, as they defrost in the bowl they look like a diorama of paunchy hot-tubbers.

I haven't the heart to net the California quail running around the back yard. Or maybe I just lack the patience to pluck them.

Back in Scotland a brace of Pheasants along with a handful of prunes and some decent bacon would make a happy game pie.

[Porthos]

Dove.

Brown in butter in dutch oven. Add good dry zinfindel then bake at 275 for 3 hours. Remove dove, add sour cream, salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the birds. Eat like your in heaven.

[Pets de Soeurs]

Pheasant, by a landslide. The pate de faisan en croute in Pepin's Complete Techniques is a holiday tradition; completely wonderful.

[Ben Hong]

Pheasant, by a landslide. The pate de faisan en croute in Pepin's Complete Techniques is a holiday tradition; completely wonderful.

Some people like pheasant, But I find that they can be tough when taken in the wild, much too much exercise from being so free ranging. My favorite game bird is the Hungarian or grey partridge taken off a Saskatchewan wheat stubble field where they have been loitering and fattening on grain. Ambrosia doesn't begin to describe it.

I love your handle. Sounds a lot better than "nun's farts". It's one of my favorite desserts, where I live.

[Pets de Soeurs]

You are correct about wild pheasants - they do need significant processing. This is why I've latched onto the pate; it mitigates the toughness. Pepin prescribes truffles, which are wonderful, but pistachios are welcome in their absence. I will make a point of trying a partridge acquired as you describe; sounds fantastic. Thank you for the advice! As for Nun's Farts, they're a favorite with me and my Canuck clan, too.

[ambra]

What about guinea Hen. I guess it's a bit tougher and dryer for that matter, but if cooked right, it's delicious. There is a recipe I love that has it marinating in vin Santo that is to die for.

Edited February 11, 2011 by ambra (log)

[kitchensqueen]

I'm also a pheasant lover. We actually did one for last Thanksgiving instead of a turkey (dinner for just three - I don't even want to think about how much I would've had to spend to serve more). We actually apple smoked it on the grill and it was absolutely divine. Makes me want to give up chicken entirely, and just eat pheasant exlusively. If I only I could afford it beyond special occassions or hunt it myself!

[budrichard]

I am veteran wingshooter, and I travel with my bird dogs pretty well all over

North America...eastern Canada(ruffed grouse, woodcock),Saskatchewan (hungarian partridge, sharp tail grouse) Kansas, Nebraska(quail, pheasant) Manitoba(waterfowl) etc.Being a hunter has spoiled me, because there is nothing, no raised game bird , that will ever taste as good as the birds in my freezer. But my birds are costly, probably in the vicinity of $25.00 per ounce, factoring in gas, dog food, vet bills (porcupine quillage) airline tickets, guns and ammo, food and libations, license fees, accommodations, wear and tear on mechanical and human equipment, etc...etc...etc...

As for cooking wild birds, I have found that the KISS method is best in most cases.

If dry heat or frying is involved, the meat MUST be rare.

Ben is spot on!

Wild and pen raised are two different animals even though they are the same species.

I get my pen raised birds from a live Poultry supplier in Chicago, processed while I wait into my ice filled cooler for chill.

Otherwise a sling shot at what I hope are wild birds or at least that's what it feels like!

I also don't cook wild birds whole but breast out and prepare the breasts rare and use the leg/thighs in a braise with the carcass used for a stock and eventually sauce.-Dick

Edited May 2, 2011 by budrichard (log)

[Paul Bacino]

Here in Nebraska.. I hunt BobWhite quail.. which is my favorite bird to hunt. Otherwise it would be ringneck pheasant.