Do You Eat Babies?

[Henrietta]

Obviously not human ones.

Just reading another thread about soft shell crap and someone mentioned that they were baby crabs.

Do you feel guilty at choosing the young offspring of an animal as it's more succulent such as soft crabs, veal, baby chickens, calves, lamb and so on or do you say meat is meat and the younger the better?

[boxtops]

You can't beat a good veal escalope, they are lovely.

[ethandron]

Yep, I'll give most things a go. The only reason I can think of for not eating something is if I've already tried it and really didn't like it.
I quite like veal depending on how it's cooked, these days I think it's more ethically raised. I have also eaten and enjoyed foie gras in the past.

[Henrietta]

That's mad how they make Foie Gras.

Isn't there an ethical way to make it even going down the synthetic road if need be? How does it taste?

[hc4361]

Of course there is an ethical, natural way of making foie gras. It just takes a lot longer of natural feeding of high fat food so it would be more expensive to produce.

It is only France that insists on force feeding ducks and geese (it can't be called foie gras if it isn't), other countries do it the natural way but that does not mean that no foie gras from those countries is not from force fed birds.

I have no problem at all with eating young animals. To keep up with the demand for milk many more calves are born than are needed. It makes sense to eat them as veal - it is harsh, but veal is a by product of milk, cream and cheese.

[joggerjayne]

OMG, seared fois gras ... best thing EVER !!

Shi ... t ... look at the time ... I have to go ...> > >

[hammerman]

Lamb, veal, suckling pig......*** delish.

What about whitebait....baby Herring ? lovely !!!

[Prudie]

I won't eat veal ever because of how they are reared (yeah yeah I know it's all humane these days). Lamb isn't really lamb like baby lambs, it's much older. I've never seen baby chicken offered.

[tamborine]

Caviar & soft roe down the gullet with no remorse

[Henrietta]

Good one tamborine I forgot about roe which I loved when I tasted it. I've only ever had it on crackers, is that the best way? I suppose it would be even better with a dash of olive oil, a dash of lemon juice and a twig of parsley AND maybe a sprinkle of smoked paprika? Sound good or a pukefest waiting to happen?

[ethandron]

From what Ive read, both lamb and veal can be, and is, slaughtered at between six and eight months old. Some lamb is left till a bit older, between twelve and eighteen months. Not much difference really is there?

[Obiter]

Not much difference? Lamb is tasty, veal is tasteless and palatable only because of the sauce which accompanies it.

[tamborine]

Soft roe, lightly fried till liquid absorbed & serve on toast with ground pepper

[ethandron]

Not much difference in age..for those who are squeamish about eating baby cows. Taste is another thing entirely..

[hc4361]

Cows aren't bred for veal. The calves are a by product and if we didn't eat them they'd be in dog food or sold as veal abroad.

[factor-fiction]

Soft shell crap sounds horrible- but soft shell crab sounds like something I might enjoy

[Jeza]

A bloke I knew said I'm going fishing if I catch enough you can have trout for dinner. He didn't tell me they would be alive and in a bucket. I took them back to the lake he caught them in and put them back. If I had to kill my dinner I would be a veggie.

[jomifl]

Soft shell crabs are just crabs that have moulted and their new shell hasn't yet hardened.
I do find the term 'baby' as a description of anything small a bit well...babyish. Does 'baby' sweetcorn grow up into big sturdy adult sweetcorn, or 'baby' beetroot grow into hulking adult beetroot that might get together and raise a family.... don't think so.

[jomifl]

jeza. some neighbours of mine were given a recentlyy shot pheasant, complete in every way except of course lacking the 'life force'...they buried it .

[sandyRoe]

Pheasant plucking, particularly for the inexperienced isn't very pleasant.