You might be a fan of hunting or even if you’re not, including game in your diet can make for a tasty alternative at mealtimes. Below we have listed a few pointers on how to prepare Rabbit, Duck and Pigeon prior to cooking.

Rabbit

A lean meat that is very popular in Italy, rabbit goes very well in traditional winter meals, such as stews, pies and even a roast dinner. It’s worth getting advice from a butcher if you’ve purchased a rabbit, but if you have been hunting and caught it legally, it’s worth getting a sharp knife and following the instructions below:

• Remove the hind legs
• Cut front legs away
• Make a cut between the saddle and the ribcage
• Discard ribcage
• Trim flesh away from the saddle
• Through the backbone, cut saddle into two pieces

Duck

Often used in French and Asian cooking, duck is a versatile meat that is delicious used in salads, in pies, in hoisin sauce or even just roasted on its own. If you’ve bought a whole duck, or caught a whole duck that you’ve already plucked, you can then remove the breast portions of the duck and follow the instructions to remove the skin:

• Place it skin-side up on a chopping board
• Make a small cut at the base, between the skin and meat
• Pull back the skin to expose the meat underneath
• Use a small knife to cut away sinew and ensure you aren’t pulling away meat

Pigeon

A tender and gamey meat, pigeon can be pan-fried then roasted easily, and can be cooked in the same ways that beef is done. Whether you want it roasted in its own, or in a pie, or even in a tasty salad, follow the instructions below to prepare the meat using a sharp knife:

• Small cut at the bottom of the breast
• Push the thigh bone out
• Repeat on the other side
• Cut down the breast plate
• Remove any excess fat

Have you been sampling any game recently? Take a picture of the finished dish and show us over on  Twitter or Facebook. For any hunting supplies or advice, contact us or pop into the shop today.