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Have You Ever Plucked A Duck?

  • 26-05-2013 6:32pm
    #1
    The Backwards Man
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,299 ✭✭✭✭


    When I was a little backwards man my granny taught me how to pluck ducks, as well as various other fowl. Duck plucking in my family goes back centuries, apparently. I've never consider plucking a duck in my adult life, and I don't think I ever will, but nevertheless, one of the skills that will always stay with me, thanks to my granny, is that of duck plucker.

    Have you had any skills handed down from your elder generations that you will never use?


Comments

  • #2
    IM0
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,390 ✭✭✭IM0


    Im not a pheasant plucker Im a pheasant pluckers son, Im only plucking ducks tilll the pheasant plucker comes


  • #3
    bacon n eggs
    Closed Accounts Posts: 423 ✭✭bacon n eggs


    Always thought that rhyme was pheasant plucker, not duck.


  • #4
    The Backwards Man
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,299 ✭✭✭✭The Backwards Man


    Ah, your grandmother taught you to be a wordsmith, I see. Very good.:)


  • #5
    Ilik Urgee
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,430 ✭✭✭Ilik Urgee


    the pope's nose is popping up all over AH today


  • #6
    IM0
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,390 ✭✭✭IM0


    bacon n eggs wrote: »
    Always thought that rhyme was pheasant plucker, not duck.

    I ad libbed it ;)


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  • #7
    bacon n eggs
    Closed Accounts Posts: 423 ✭✭bacon n eggs


    Granny was and still is a cantankerous old gal. Not passed on to me at all.


  • #8
    Mariasofia
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,887 ✭✭✭Mariasofia


    Did ya ever ride a country pony?


  • #9
    bacon n eggs
    Closed Accounts Posts: 423 ✭✭bacon n eggs


    I ad libbed it

    Initiative is good.


  • #10
    corktina
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,733 ✭✭✭✭corktina


    The most difficult tasks when preparing a duck are:

    Plucking it
    Drawing it
    trussing it up
    catching it
    killing it

    (Not in that actual order though...)


  • #11
    IM0
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,390 ✭✭✭IM0


    bacon n eggs wrote: »
    Initiative is good.

    yah :cool:


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  • #12
    DrumSteve
    Registered Users Posts: 10,799 ✭✭✭✭DrumSteve


    Ive choked a chicken, if that counts.


  • #13
    The Backwards Man
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,299 ✭✭✭✭The Backwards Man


    corktina wrote: »
    The most difficult tasks when preparing a duck are:

    Plucking it
    Drawing it
    trussing it up
    catching it
    killing it

    (Not in that actual order though...)
    The most important thing to remember is to NEVER try to stuff it while it is still alive.


  • #14
    corktina
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,733 ✭✭✭✭corktina


    not if you might get caught by the Missus anyway!


  • #15
    bacon n eggs
    Closed Accounts Posts: 423 ✭✭bacon n eggs


    The most important thing to remember is to NEVER try to stuff it while it is still alive.

    Aaahhhh, that's where I was going wrong.


  • #16
    kneemos
    Registered Users Posts: 20,407 ✭✭✭✭kneemos


    Is there a system for plucking a duck or is it just generally pull feathers?


  • #17
    Hownowcow
    Closed Accounts Posts: 341 ✭✭Hownowcow


    If you do pluck a duck and then decide that it looked better with feathers, how do you put them back on it?


  • #18
    bacon n eggs
    Closed Accounts Posts: 423 ✭✭bacon n eggs


    erm..glue of course doh


  • #19
    Cork24
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,663 ✭✭✭Cork24


    kneemos wrote: »
    Is there a system for plucking a duck or is it just generally pull feathers?



    just pull the feathers, i have seen done with Chickens, cut the Skin and pull it off and off comes the feathers.


  • #20
    Obliq
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,371 ✭✭✭Obliq


    kneemos wrote: »
    Is there a system for plucking a duck or is it just generally pull feathers?

    I've only done chickens and a pheasant (yeah, I know.....but I'm a daughter, not a son) but I imagine it's the same. My system is:
    1 Behead the beast & hang up by feet
    2 pull feathers from neck away from body
    3 pull feathers on breast in small clumps or even single feathers, while simultaneously keeping the skin taut with other hand. Skin tears easily.
    4 Yank feathers off legs
    5 Go as far as you are going to eat near the tail, chop off rest
    6 Don't forget to take out glands near tail when plucked
    7 Go across skin with a lighter to burn off the tiny down feathers
    Not going to list gutting procedure!

    I usually skin them though, as they're generally not fit for roasting and need stewing, so I don't need the skin.


  • #21
    The Backwards Man
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,299 ✭✭✭✭The Backwards Man


    kneemos wrote: »
    Is there a system for plucking a duck or is it just generally pull feathers?
    Yeah it's all in the wrist action. Some people have the natural knack for pulling them, others have to go through hours and hours of practice to perfect the correct jerking procedure.


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  • #22
    kneemos
    Registered Users Posts: 20,407 ✭✭✭✭kneemos


    The Backwards Man wrote: »
    Yeah it's all in the wrist action. Some people have the natural knack for pulling them, others have to go through hours and hours of practice to perfect the correct jerking procedure.

    Quick,fast, slow.


  • #23
    Obliq
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,371 ✭✭✭Obliq


    kneemos wrote: »
    Quick,fast, slow.

    At all times, being careful not to tear the skin.


  • #24
    moy83
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,701 ✭✭✭moy83


    Dip them in scalding water and the feathers come out alot easier .


  • #25
    Karl Stein
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,689 ✭✭✭Karl Stein


    Let's raise an army of wicked ducks and take the Dail.


  • #26
    martinedwards
    Registered Users Posts: 2,043 ✭✭✭martinedwards


    ducks, chickens, pigeons, geese, turkeys......

    skinned pigs too, but they don't count as plucking.......

    interesting skills?

    we had a guy who could kill two chickens simultaneously.....

    he held a head in each hand and then cracked them like whips......

    where as small birds can be killed by just twisting thier skulls to break thier necks, geese are an absoulte bugger to kill.

    my mum used to have to lay the neck over a brush shaft and the stand on it!!

    I suspect that the animal rights people would disapprove!


  • #27
    Obliq
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,371 ✭✭✭Obliq


    martinedwards wrote: »
    he held a head in each hand and then cracked them like whips......

    Done that! Not with two though, but it's just as quick as any other method.

    my mum used to have to lay the neck over a brush shaft and the stand on it!!

    I suspect that the animal rights people would disapprove!

    I suspect that if you asked any animal rights folk if it was better that the animal had a nice life, closer to the way they would naturally, they'd be happier with that than the deaths of battery farmed creatures with crappy lives. Of course, if they're vegetarians, it's never going to go down well......


  • #28
    kneemos
    Registered Users Posts: 20,407 ✭✭✭✭kneemos


    martinedwards wrote: »
    ducks, chickens, pigeons, geese, turkeys......

    skinned pigs too, but they don't count as plucking.......

    interesting skills?

    we had a guy who could kill two chickens simultaneously.....

    he held a head in each hand and then cracked them like whips......

    where as small birds can be killed by just twisting thier skulls to break thier necks, geese are an absoulte bugger to kill.

    my mum used to have to lay the neck over a brush shaft and the stand on it!!

    I suspect that the animal rights people would disapprove!

    Was you're mother an asassin in her spare time?


  • #29
    Rasheed
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,117 ✭✭✭Rasheed


    Granny taught me to make the soda bread and apple tarts.

    Grandad/ daddy taught me how to pull lambs and calfs and casterate bulls. All relevant life skills I think.


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