Starlings being a nuisance? No problem.

[NazNomad]

Saw these being 'prepared' (a.k.a killed) in Tunisia ... but this is in fact from an old British recipe book.

For the more 'adventurous' cooks among us, I think

Starling Recipe

Starlings (allow 1 per person)
Chopped & peeled tomatoes
Clove of garlic
Olives
Fat or butter
An onion
Bacon (or oiled paper)
Seasoning

Hang the birds from 3 to 6 days.

Prepare and gut them.

Brown them in butter or fat.

Add tomatoes, onion, garlic, seasoning and olives.

Wrap the birds in bacon or oiled paper and cook until tender.

[society]

Naz, you posted a tomatoes soup recipe sometime back. Well... I made it today but without the bacon. For such a simple recipe with so few ingredients, it's delicious. Thanks for sharing.

[NazNomad]

Yeah, it's a nice recipe ... glad you enjoyed it.

[society]

Shouldn't it be prepare and gut the bird first before hanging it? Makes more sense to me but I could be wrong. Or does hang the bird mean something different from what I'm thinking it to mean? lol

[DTCwordfan]

and very good they are too - in the Uk or Tunisia

[NazNomad]

Hmm, good point, I took that recipe directly from an old book online somewhere.

What you say does make sense.

the locals in Tunisia were bleeding, gutting and oven-readying them.

If they were cooking them onsite, I would have tried one.

[askyourgran]

It's going to be a bugger plucking all those birds 1 each? there's hardly anything on them, and after seeing them fighting over a piece of mucky bacon rind I'll give them a miss.

[welshlibranr]

Sorry!....Would never eat the guests on my bird table, ever!.....................

[society]

I'm not going to make the recipe but it's very dull on here tonight so I'm reading just about every post which pops up in the grey box.

[DTCwordfan]

I am sure the guests at your bird table feel the same way, other than the vultures who would welcome a human or two

[NazNomad]

Me either, but they were 'in keeping' and the locals would probably look in disgust at us munching on a MaccyD.

Gran, I seem to remember they skinned them.

[Buenchico]

They can't be that hard to pluck, AYG.

On Friday I only left the house for a few minutes but, when I got back, the neighbour's cat had plucked and eaten a starling (well, it could have been a starling anyway - it was hard to tell), leaving nothing but a wing (plus my living room looking like a pillow fight had taken place!).

I'm trying to work out why eating starlings doesn't quite sound right but I love partridge, pheasant, pigeon and woodcock!

[welshlibranr]

know what you mean society, I'm doing the same!................very boring night!.......

[NazNomad]

"I'm trying to work out why eating starlings doesn't quite sound right but I love partridge, pheasant, pigeon and woodcock! "

A valid point ... maybe it's because we do actually feed them?

[askyourgran]

It's hardly worth the gas to cook them.

I know what you mean too society.

[welshlibranr]

Well Naz, I would never eat any of them!............

[NazNomad]

How about Goose?

[anneasquith]

1 starling per person.............not much meat is it.?

[NazNomad]

About the same as you'd get on a Quail.

[NazNomad]

It's funny, they really bully the smaller birds off the feeders, but all I need to do is show then the salt & pepper through the window and ZOOOMMM ...gone :-)

[welshlibranr]

I have quails in my aviary!........would never thinkof eating them either Naz!......