bambodoggy said:
Just going back to Goose/fowl preperation.... I seem to have ideas about hanging up chickens, ducks, geese etc for a few days before they are prepared.... they might have had the throat slit to bleed them...or they might not. I really can't remember how/what/why this was done and to which animals....
anyone got any ideas?
All bird and mammal meat benefits from some degree of hanging. Fish is usually best eaten as fresh as possible, but I was told by the mother of our local fishmonger many years ago that sole should be left in the fridge for a couple of days. It improves the flavour and helps with skinning (I had caught an enormous Dover sole and she very kindly showed me exactly what needed doing to it. It was far too good a speciment to risk making a mess of and I wasn't very good with flat fish in those days).
Birds traditionally are not bled and are hung by the neck in Britain (in France, they hang them by one leg), un-gutted. Hares are traditionally paunched (except in very cold weather) and hung by the back legs, head down and the blood collected in a pot tied/wired to hang under the muzzle.
The length of time you hang things depends on ambient temperature prevailing and the degree of gaminess that you like/can tolerate. Personally, I wouldn't hang a grouse shot in August for more than few hours. A pheasant shot in January and hung in a cold outhouse can hang for a week or more. A fly-proof cool larder is an asset, but you can improvise with mosquito netting.
Deer are gralloched immediately they are shot. Our American friends place great emphasis on getting the carcass cooled down quickly. Even so, I like my venison hung in a cool environment for a week.
Burnt Ash