Well, when I say just, I mean it was still warm and floppy and I found myself holding this thing while my OH disappeared off to find string. Anyway we hung it overnight (fortunately my shop is both closed and cold
) and then we set about processing it.I know a lot of you do this with no problem, but I have vivid memories of dealing with a wood pigeon (way back in the mists of time - I think I was about 12) and nearly throwing up when all this bright purple goo came out - I think it'd been eating elderberries or somesuch. So I was a trifle nervous, to say the least. The stupid thing is I have no problems butchering half a pig or goat (my birthday present last year was a set of butchers' knives).
Anyway, the long and the short of it is that we now have a beautifully plucked and drawn bird, in the freezer, which I'm thinking might do us for Christmas and I'm feeling ridiculously chuffed with both of us.
I do have one question though. Do any of you know how we'd tell how old it is? In researching the whole preparation bit we were horrified to see lots of hunters just removing the breasts and discarding the rest because "older geese are too tough unless you're going to casserole them for hours". I'd like to be able to chew my Christmas dinner!
