Time for a Swan hunting season?

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Saturday, May 17. 2014

Time for a Swan hunting season?

I'd vote yes. If they used to be reserved for Brit royalty, they're good enough for me. Furthermore, Mute Swans are not even native to North America. They were imports to grace the ponds of 19th C Long Island robber baron estates - but they are not garden decor. They are royal food.

The painting tells me that working in a royal kitchen was a pretty good gig.

Article here.

Posted by Bird Dog in Food and Drink at 05:01 | Comments (8) | Trackbacks (0)

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I wonder if the little dog there is a turnspit dog? Just heard about them this week from a good bit on NPR.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turnspit_Dog

#1 B Moe on 2014-05-17 07:18 (Reply)

From a show on PBS about Henry VIII's castles, I got the distinct impression that kitchen staff had a long, hard days at work. It was said that the spit-turners got all the beer they could drink, as they sweated it out.

#2 Sam L. on 2014-05-17 11:23 (Reply)

I've read that peacocks and peahens are very tasty, too.

#2.1 Sam L. on 2014-05-17 11:27 (Reply)

Top center, there's a deadhang. The bird will be there until it falls off its legs. Then its ready to cook.

#3 Frigate on 2014-05-17 14:59 (Reply)

Good observation. Right.

#3.1 Bird Dog on 2014-05-17 15:45 (Reply)

I didn't know that.

Boggles my feeble mind that people preferred rotten meat to fresh.

#3.1.1 feeblemind on 2014-05-18 15:52 (Reply)

Thanks for the post. Frigate is correct. An ancient way to prepare game birds was to hang them till the meat easily came off the bones.
Swan hunting permits are available from the fedz (migratory waterfowl with international treaties). My son & I received permits (lottery system) for swan hunting in North Carolina. We were successful, and the hunt was most enjoyable. However, no matter how careful we were processing the raw meat, and using different recipes, the meat was tough.

#4 JV on 2014-05-18 07:00 (Reply)

Begs the question, did you hang it?

Anyone remember the scene in the book and mini-series "Shogun", the European hung the bird until the Japanese couldn't stand it any more and a volunteer removed and buried it. And was promptly executed for disobedience of Blackthorns command.
Intelligent people the Japanese.

#4.1 John the River (Link) on 2014-05-18 18:16 (Reply)

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Saturday, May 17. 2014

Time for a Swan hunting season?