Woodcock , how do I cook it ?

[fenboy]

I have today managed to shoot my first woodcock

I have always been rather unlucky with woodcock , they always seem to have flushed in front of whoever I was shooting with instead of myself

 

So now I finally got one what do I do with it , do you hang them like pheasant ? how best to cook ?

 

Thanks.

[felly100]

Well done Sir.

I've never shot one but I have come home with a couple.

I used the HFW Meat cook book recipe.

I didn't hang them,In fact I cooked them straightaway.

[Blunderbuss]

Aren't you supposed to pluck them but leave the head on and guts in? Then somehow skewer it with its own beak? That may be snipe. Or I may have dreampt it.

[malkiserow]

Aren't you supposed to pluck them but leave the head on and guts in? Then somehow skewer it with its own beak? That may be snipe. Or I may have dreampt it.

 

you are correct sir

[JDog]

Leaving the guts in might be too much for your first time. Pluck and gut as normal, wrap in bacon, sit on a thick slice of bread, place on a small cooking tray, cover with foil and cook in a hot oven for twenty minutes. Take off the foil and place back in the oven for five minutes. Place woodcock and bread on plate with game chips. Use a sharp knife and take off the legs and each breast intact. Eat and enjoy.

 

Congratulations on your first.

[ditchman]

when plucking it ...take out the "pin feather" and stick it in your cap....

[dougall]

Leaving the guts in might be too much for your first time. Pluck and gut as normal, wrap in bacon, sit on a thick slice of bread, place on a small cooking tray, cover with foil and cook in a hot oven for twenty minutes. Take off the foil and place back in the oven for five minutes. Place woodcock and bread on plate with game chips. Use a sharp knife and take off the legs and each breast intact. Eat and enjoy.

 

Congratulations on your first.

Like this but leave guts in,also 15 minutes roasting and 7 minutes resting.......you can literally eat everything.Once cooked the guts almost liquify,spread this on fried bread or toast then rest bird on top.....it is not really bird pooh as everytime a woodcock takes off to fly it literally evacuates its bowel..I promise it is nicer than it sounds!! 1 woodcock does not make a huge meal but it is pretty rich,personally love to have bread sauce with the breast meat...enjoy..

[robbietherimmer]

I had it in a hotel in Scotland a few years ago and it came deep fried in batter- was ok but a bit fiddly and not too much meat on it.

[Fatcatsplat]

It's a very strong flavour and a bit too much for me - Gutted!!

[Blackpowder]

I had a brace last week, afraid to say I gutted them as I always do. A knob of butter in the cavity plus a good grind of salt and pepper. Spread streaky bacon rashers over the breasts into a hot oven for 20mins then rested for 10. We had the birds whole on the plate with roast potatoes, mixed carrot and turnip mash, bread sauce and giblet gravy. Food for the blessed.

 

Blackpowder

[Jonty]

If the 'guts in' method seems a bit too much for a first try, leave the guts in but before leaving the bird to rest, scoop them out back into the roasting pan on the hob with splash of port and a knob of butter for half a minute before then spreading on the toast. I found it a good half way house before going for the more traditional method on my second woodcock.

 

Congratulations on your first woodcok - they truly are a delicious bird to eat.

[Billy.]

I've heard the brain makes excellent pate for toast. Not my cuppa, but worth a shot if you're brave enough

[belly47]

I had it in a hotel in Scotland a few years ago and it came deep fried in batter- was ok but a bit fiddly and not too much meat on it.

not surprising really, everything gets deep fried up there :lol:

[Piebob]

If the 'guts in' method seems a bit too much for a first try, leave the guts in but before leaving the bird to rest, scoop them out back into the roasting pan on the hob with splash of port and a knob of butter for half a minute before then spreading on the toast. I found it a good half way house before going for the more traditional method on my second woodcock.

 

 

I'm confused. Your first sentence is how I eat them and I thought that was the "guts in" method. The only thing I do is remove the gizzard before any cooking.

[Jonty]

 

I'm confused. Your first sentence is how I eat them and I thought that was the "guts in" method. The only thing I do is remove the gizzard before any cooking.

 

My take on the traditional way is to simply scoop out the innards onto the toast without any further cooking. Flashing them on the hob in the roasting juices with the port etc on my first one just made me more confident to try them.