Papercase Posted January 9, 2023 Report Share Posted January 9, 2023 Well tonight has been interesting. I absolutely adore the grey partidge, since I began to get into birds and later fieldsports no other species has captured my imagination as they have. They are the litmus test for farming working with nature. I would never shoot a grey, our syndicate has them but there is probably 10 maybe 15 pairs and the farm and syndicate doesn't do enough to of the hard work it takes to bring the numbers to a harvestable surplus. I was lucky enough to be invited on a friend's shoot in a neighboring county, I didn't take a shot all day but someone rightly or wrongly I don't know had accounted for a brace of greys. At the end of the shoot stood around a modest bag. I sensed a hesitance by the other guns to pick up this pair, so embarrassed and conflicted I picked the birds and tonight prepared then for the table. It was a strange thing to prepare something I admire above all other wild things, it was part prep, part learning journey. They really have the most incredible plumage, they're more pretty than the best twitchett painting. They survive against incredible odds as young and as adults. Yet here they are as fair for the table. I will do my best to do them justice, however I hope they're the last I eat - actually I take that back. I hope that one day through better farming and management they are prevalent to the point that me harvesting a brace would have no bearing on my conscience. What do you guys think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holloway Posted January 9, 2023 Report Share Posted January 9, 2023 I agree 100 % with your post and sentiment, they are dead and as the shooter who shot them didn’t want them (sadly all to common today) I am sure you will do them justice on the table. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted January 9, 2023 Report Share Posted January 9, 2023 what about doing them in a cast iron croc pot...and 15 mins before they are ready remove the lid to brown them off....make the gravy from the juices ...a bit of gravy browning and a spot of sherry...... serve with mashed buttered and sherried carrots .....nice roast pots ...and a nice fine cut green cabbage (steamed) with a squeeze of lemon on the cabbage ..... any good ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogone Posted January 10, 2023 Report Share Posted January 10, 2023 We take a lot here,100s at least. A hot barbecue:350, hun in loose foil laid on back. About 12 minutes. Your time may vary. A lot of birds are breasted and done in a frypan. Excellent. Very mild Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
London Best Posted January 10, 2023 Report Share Posted January 10, 2023 Just plain roast them, 15/20 mins. Best eating of any game bird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted January 10, 2023 Report Share Posted January 10, 2023 18 minutes ago, London Best said: Just plain roast them, 15/20 mins. Best eating of any game bird. i have missed out....i have on occasion been allowed to shot them ....but have never eaten them.............one for the bucket list Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted January 10, 2023 Report Share Posted January 10, 2023 12 hours ago, holloway said: I agree 100 % with your post and sentiment, they are dead and as the shooter who shot them didn’t want them (sadly all to common today) I am sure you will do them justice on the table. I have no problem shooting them if the shoot agrees. They are an elusive quarry, usually bursting out all together as they did at Prestwold on Saturday and one was shot but the young man shooting it took it home to eat and there lies the question. I always try to take at least a brace of birds home, good natural food but witness at least half of the guns fail to do so which is a great shame. If you want to shoot them you should be prepared to eat them mot just treat them as targets. I prepared some pheasants for lunch on Sunday for some friends two of whom had never eaten pheasant before but had seconds. They had only eaten it once before and found it strong and gamey. My receipe was from Nichola Cox's book on Game Cookeryand the meat was slow cooked in pineapple puree and other stuff for about four hours very slowly and they woofed it down served with mixed roasted vegetables . A nice red wine to wash it down. I hope you enjoyed your partridge and well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yates Posted January 10, 2023 Report Share Posted January 10, 2023 To my way of thinking, all game shot should be eaten. This shows respect for our quarry and the bond between the hunter and the hunted. I have no time or respect for those who shoot just to kill. OP well done for respecting and not wasting your partridge- hope you enjoyed your meal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted January 10, 2023 Report Share Posted January 10, 2023 3 minutes ago, yates said: To my way of thinking, all game shot should be eaten. This shows respect for our quarry and the bond between the hunter and the hunted. I have no time or respect for those who shoot just to kill. OP well done for respecting and not wasting your partridge- hope you enjoyed your meal spot on.............on the partridge shoots we were very lucky at the end of the day we were presented with 2 leashes of plucked and prepared birds from a previous shoots...and very nice too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Boggy Posted January 10, 2023 Report Share Posted January 10, 2023 52 minutes ago, yates said: To my way of thinking, all game shot should be eaten. This shows respect for our quarry and the bond between the hunter and the hunted. I have no time or respect for those who shoot just to kill. OP well done for respecting and not wasting your partridge- hope you enjoyed your meal I am very fortunate to have been able, many years ago, to walk up acres upon acres of stubble (known as Gratten here in Kent) for grey partridges and every one shot was regarded as a very valuable addition to the household budget and none were ever wasted and tasted delicious. Nowadays I regard myself fortunate to even see a covey of greys and would never think of raising my gun to them. OB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted January 10, 2023 Report Share Posted January 10, 2023 As I have said on previous posts on greys, I was brought up with ONLY greys and remember the consternation and anger amongst shooters when the first 'Frenchie' was shot on our farm. Back then there where hundreds of acres of roots and potatoes grown and stubbles overwintered. Folk do not realise that back then hedges where cut by hand alnost as well as machines do roday and it was the landgirls job to 'badge' the bottoms out with a sickle. Greys still found places to make nests. All the cimmercial shoots I have visited this year have shown greys in numbers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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