Woodcock

• The most sought after of all game birds
• Rich, delicious flavour
• Allow one bird per person per serving
• Limited availability
• Dispatched chilled

The woodcock is traditionally presented, unlike all other game birds, with the head, feet and eviscera (guts) intact but the feathers removed (to order select the ‘plucked but not dressed’ option in the drop-down menu below).  The head and neck are eaten by some and the guts liquidize to make divine juices if you follow the recipe below. We can however remove head, feet and innards on request (select the ‘dressed’ option).  

Our woodcock are migratory birds that winter in the UK from a vast global population, which should not be confused with the declining summer breeding UK population. To ensure that only migratory birds are harvested, we procure woodcock shot after 1 December (as recommended by woodcock scientists) after which the migratory birds have arrived from their breeding grounds in Russia and Scandinavia.

My cooking tip is to ignore the British recipe books (hot and fast) and follow the French who cook woodcock slowly in a casserole pot with lid, in a spot of white wine and a couple of shallots for 2 hours at about 120-140 deg. The eviscera (guts) will liquidize leaving you with a bird with an empty cavity and lots of amazing juices. Fry some toast in these juices and serve the bird on top. Voila!