Starlings

[naz_nomad]

Last week, in a Tunisian market, I spend about 15 minutes watching a man skin/gut starlings, ready for the oven ... he said that they were eaten with olives.

Does anyone know a good starling recipe that I can try at home?

Thanks .. Naz x

[garner]

the best recipe for you would be, to go and live in tunisia for good.

[naz_nomad]

don't think I haven't thunk about it.

[vehelpfulguy]

Well we kill 800 MILLION chickens in this country each year, and 30 million turkeys and 20 million ducks.

I do not think we can critisize the Tunisians to much.

[naz_nomad]

my thoughts entirely ... if that's what they eat, then so be it.

I kinda thought I should be shocked at what I saw, because I spend all year feeding the in the garden, but it was really fascinating to watch.

I'm not judging them for eating starlings, in fact, for a very poor country, it's an ideal way to get food, although it's a hell of a lot of work for 1� mouthfuls of meat ...

If he had actually been cooking them on the spot, I would have tried one.

[drchasuble]

http://www.visi.com/~wick/axe/cookbook.html has a couple of starling recipes. The French eat some sort of thrush called a grive and I think they just roast them without gutting them and eat them whole. Bones and all.
Was it a lot bigger than a quail? Do you reckon you could roast one like a quail?

I had one of my best meals of all time in Tunisia from this really dirty shack at the side of the road. I can't fault the Tunisians or their food.

[garner]

Just as a footnote, I did not critisize the Tunisians

[naz_nomad]

no, just me ...

[naz_nomad]

drchasuble ... it wasn't even half the size of a quail ...

[wired]

from an old British recipe book
Starlings (allow 1 per person)
chopped & peeled tomatoes
clove of garlic
olives
fat or butter
an onion
seasoning
Hang the birds from 3 to 6 days.Prepare and gut them, brown them in butter or fat and add tomatoes,onion,garlic ,seasoning and olives.Wrap the birds in bacon or oiled paper and cook until tender.

[naz_nomad]

thanks wired ... nice one (have you tried it?)

[silkychicken]

That xplains why you used to see huge flocks of starlings wheeling around the sky before roosting and now there are hardly any left. I think its terrible. They're hardly in the same category as chickens or ducks are they? They're wild birds.

[naz_nomad]

In Britain and elsewhere in northwest Europe, starling populations have declined over the last three to four decades. The decline has been so severe that the starling has recently been placed in the highest category of conservation concern in Britain.

Starling populations are capable of expanding rapidly, their success attributable to a catholic diet, wide habitat tolerance and an aggressive attitude towards ownership of nest holes.

But if you delve further, you will find that because of the problems caused by large starling flocks and their ubiquity, the British government issued a general licence allowing their killing, and the destruction of their nests and eggs, in the interests of public health and safety and to prevent serious damage to crops or livestock.

So who's to blame for the apparent demise of the starlings ... the British Government, or a handful of starving Africans that only catch them for food?

[silkychicken]

I'd have to say in the light of what you've just said they're both equally to blame. You can't really expect anything better from our Government - they really don't have a clue do they?

[wired]

Would you believe it Naz, I haven't but having read how exclusive they're becoming it may be a good starter for Dec. 25th possibly followed by my recipe for sparrow pie but maybe I'd better not advertise that one!

Wonder what I'll call the cafe?

[shaneystar2]

Well they are not very exclusive round here ! I have loads of them in my garden everyday and they go through fatballs at a rate of knots . Huge flocks wheel over here every night and roost in the church tower.
As for eating them ..no thanks !

[naz_nomad]

''Starlings Caf�'' has a good ring to it ...

They'd be a superb starter ... I'm beginning to feel really disappointed that I couldn't try one ... maybe next year, I'm there for at least 2 weeks, so I can research it a bit, maybe get friendly with a local and get dinner cooked for me ...

[silkychicken]

I don't think you've much of a clue either!

[naz_nomad]

why do you say that?