Sooo much pooping

[HENthusiastic]

HI.

Ive just had my first go at skinning a chicken rather than plucking. I was amazed at how quick and easy it was! About 10 minutes instead of my usual hour and a half . And one heck of a lot less mess .

Now my question; as its been so super easy so far, I'm wanting to be more lazy and avoid having to gut (I truly hate this process and squeel and shreik loudly through the whole process).

How do I get the 'meat' off the bones. Can I literally just hack at it? Or could I boil the whole thing, innards and all?

 

I have to add, I eat very little meat and havent cooked meat in over ten years, so I really dont know what I'm talking about. (Except for a few cockerels that is - all of them I've roasted). Thanks for any thoughts.

[The Dogmother]

There's a good link here showing you how to joint a chicken, it's the same whether it's gutted or not. I use this method if I can't be bothered with gutting, or just want to pop some joints in a casserole.

 

If you have any contacts with a local hunt or kennels, they'd be glad of the carcasses for their hounds..... waste not, want not!

[Lesley]

Def. don't boil it with guts in

 

I sometimes joint them as in Clare's link above - the dogs get the wings.

[HENthusiastic]

Thanks guys. That link made it look simple. I'm sure my boy's breasts won't look anything like those plump things though!

Thanks for the word of warning not to just boil the whole lot. Shame, that would have been easy.

I'm going to try to joint it tomorow. (Wings already been collected by the bin men - I didn't want to bother plucking them this time - it was a bit of a rush job).

[HENthusiastic]

I have successfully skinned, boned, cooked and eaten my chook. We had tarragon chicken tonight. Was delicious. Thanks for your help. Still got legs and thighs left.

[The Dogmother]

Good news HEN

 

Shame you're not nearer; Ruby would love those wings to crunch on.

[HENthusiastic]

Anybody know whether it makes a difference if you skin a bird warm or cold . I was just wondering whether I could do the deed, and then do the skinning the next day. Or is it easier done at the time Does this ever get easy?

[The Dogmother]

I found it easier warm, if it's cold them the skin seems to contract around the meat if you get my drift.

 

It's best to buy in and mature the meat birds in easy to process numbers so that you're not spending endless days despatching etc, but rather doing them in easy numbers.

[HENthusiastic]

Ok thanks, I'll keep doing them warm then I just thought it might be emotionally easier if I left them till they were cold. I don't have specific meat birds, I'm only doing cockerels from my own hatches. Thanks for the tip.

[lillybettybabs]

It's so much easier i skin my pheasents and only pluck if i want to roast whole.

[The Dogmother]

It's so much easier i skin my pheasents and only pluck if i want to roast whole.

 

A friend of mine skinned a pheasant by pulling on the wings, or something like that, do you know that method Karen? I shall have to come and watch if you do.

[lillybettybabs]

It's so much easier i skin my pheasents and only pluck if i want to roast whole.

 

A friend of mine skinned a pheasant by pulling on the wings, or something like that, do you know that method Karen? I shall have to come and watch if you do.

Is that the method on Youtube?

[The Dogmother]

Dunno, is there one?

[lillybettybabs]

I won't post a link to it incase it upsets people,

But you stand on the birds wings a then pull the legs, the body comes away and the skin,feathers and wings are

left behind.

[The Dogmother]

Ahhh, that sounds as if it'd work; do you need to slit around the legs or vent?

 

I shall have to see if I can find the video as that's one method I haven't tried.... anyone tried it on a chicken?

[lillybettybabs]

Ahhh, that sounds as if it'd work; do you need to slit around the legs or vent?

 

I shall have to see if I can find the video as that's one method I haven't tried.... anyone tried it on a chicken?

Not sure.

[mostin]

Any neat tricks would be welcome. I have a big sussex boy (NOT BILL so stop panicking people ), who is going to have to go soon, and I want the easiest and least messiest way to deal with him.

 

He won't be a roast, as he's been running around too much, so a way to skin him easily to avoid plucking would be very helpful.

[HENthusiastic]

Did you do it Mostin? Dont know why, but I seemed to have lost track of this thread.

I've kind of discovered, with all this plucking, skinning, gutting stuff that its basically a lot easier than a lot of people would have you believe.

 

I might not do it 'right'. But I just cut the skin somewhere and then keep pulling and yanking! (I cut the wings off first and dont use them).

I've also now skinned, straight after dispatch, but I've also done it a couple of days later. I personally found it easier to do it later, but thats more psychological, because the bird was cold, I felt a lot more like it was 'meat' than my ex-cockerel.

 

Anyway, I know this is a bit late, but Id like to hear how you got on Mosty.

[mostin]

I haven't "done" him yet . He hasn't crowed yet and he's still getting bigger so I'm just waiting until he's a bit bigger or louder

[HENthusiastic]

Lucky lad. give me a shout if you want to make it a social

[mostin]

Thanks, I may do that, as this will be a 1st for me at this method, and I haven't seen you guys for ages , my own fault though..........damn decorating

[Lewis]

Is it as easy as it sounds?

 

Just done Little Miss Meaty and took nearly an hour to pluck him so with Mr Meaty I thought about skinning + jointing him and found this

 

Literally just cut all the way down his front (along the breast bone?) and pull the skin off?

Would rather wait 'til he's cold too, will see

[The Dogmother]

It will come off easier when he's warm Lewis

 

Cut straight down the breast bone and round the vent and pull of each side, cut around the ankles and wing sockets etc. Just remember that it will dry out more when you cook it, so use foil.

 

Have fun!

[HENthusiastic]

Ive done them warm and cold. I much prefer cold. I found it maybe a teeny bit harder, but emotionally loads easier because it feels like meat, not like a dead bird (but then I'm a big softie)

I haven't plucked a single bird since discovering skinning. So much easier, quicker, and so much less mess.

[Valkyrie]

Sounds a good idea - when I plucked Jiu Jiu some of the flesh came away really easily in any case (I was keen to get the job done quickly - and so the skin tore). Next house - definitely will do more birds for the table.