When I’m short on time and cooler space, and I might have far to travel, I simply skin and quarter birds. This method is quick, easy, and doesn’t require you to touch the guts. But when conditions allow, I do believe it’s worthwhile to pluck and prepare whole birds. The reserved skin and fat will provide more flavor and better browning, give you more options in the kitchen, and offer more polished presentations on the plate.
Skin-on birds will always look and taste more interesting to me, but the method requires effort and care to achieve. If I haven’t lost you yet, here’s how to do it.
Allowing your pheasants to age makes them easier to pluck. (Photo courtesy of Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley) Aging Your Birds There are few things more futile than trying to dry pluck a freshly killed pheasant. The skin will tear in a thousand places, and you’ll end up skinning the bird anyway. To a lesser degree, this is also true for other upland game birds, such as quail and prairie grouse.
First, choose birds that have been shot in the head or through the back or legs, leaving the breast area mostly pristine. Don’t bother plucking shot-up, heavily bruised birds.
To get around the problem of tearing skin, I age upland game birds in a cold, dry area—such as a refrigerator set between 32-40 degrees Fahrenheit—with the guts intact. You’ll get more tender meat, and the resting time will allow the skin to tighten and become more tear resistant. To learn more about the process of aging game birds, read “Why You Should Age Your Game Birds (And How to Do It the Right Way). ”
I generally age grouse 1-3 days, or until the leg joints are no longer stiff, meaning rigor mortis is gone. For quail, a milder-tasting bird, I might age them 3-4 days to improve their flavor. I prefer to age pheasants for a week, which I find is the sweet spot for flavor development and tenderness.
Quail are slightly easier to pluck than pheasants. (Photo courtesy of Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley) How to Pluck Pheasants and Quail If you want to pluck a pheasant, you have to age it. Choose birds that have minimal damage in the breast area, because that is where the skin will tear most easily—shot wounds will do you no favors.
After aging the bird, carefully pull out the feathers in the same direction as they lie, while holding down the skin with your opposite hand to prevent tearing. I usually pluck the back, legs, and wing areas first before getting to the breast and sides, where I take my time. I don’t fully pluck the wings, tail, and neck, because I plan on cutting them off.
Next, use kitchen shears to cut off the head and neck, parts of the wings you don’t want, and the feet. Gut the bird by cutting across the tail area, above the cloaca, and pulling out the innards. Remove the crop. Rinse well in cold water.
Wet, rubbery skin will not brown well. So, to achieve better browning, allow the skinned and gutted bird to sit in the refrigerator, breast side up, uncovered overnight. The cold air in the refrigerator will help dry out the skin. Try my recipes for roasted pheasant with tarragon sauce or smothered pheasant .
Process quail similarly, though they will be a bit easier to pluck. Skin-on quail are ideal for grilling and smoking . The skin allows smoke to adhere and prevents meat from drying out.
Once plucked, grouse can be cooked whole or halved to fry in a pan. (Photo courtesy of Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley) How to Pluck Prairie Grouse Prairie grouse are dark-meat birds. I enjoy plucked grouse halves seared in a pan with lots of butter and served with some kind of fruit to balance out the gaminess. These birds should be cooked pink, and with the skin on, the meat stays juicy and has a pleasantly fatty but non-greasy texture.
Prairie grouse are not as finicky as pheasant to pluck, and they also require less aging time—about 2-3 days. Pluck the back and leg areas first, before taking your time with the breast and sides. I normally cut off the wings, because there’s not much meat there.
Gut grouse the same way you would any bird. Remember to remove the crop located above the breast, which will likely be filled with all manner of interesting things. Rinse the body cavity well with cold water. Before cooking, allow birds to rest uncovered in the refrigerator overnight, breast side up, to dry the skin and promote better browning.
Doves are small, but they are very easy to pluck. (Photo courtesy of Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley) How to Pluck Doves Doves are some of the easiest game birds to pluck. Their skin is also delicious, especially when kissed by a grill or seared in a hot pan and basted with butter. I don’t age doves—I can generally pluck them at the tailgate or shortly after I get home.
To prevent tearing the skin, use the thumb on your opposite hand to hold down the skin while pulling feathers with your dominant hand. If you see new feathers coming in on a bird, skin and breast it out for poppers—these birds are impossible to pluck. Peel out the crop located at the top of the breast and cut off the feet and head. Cut across the tail area and pull out the innards. Rinse thoroughly with cold water.
As cliché as it sounds, plucking and cooking game birds whole is a labor of love. It’s not a process that can be rushed. From start to finish, it’s a practice that forces me to think about the hunt, the animal, and gift of food—and life.
