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Swan 'killed and cooked' in Windsor


keithisco

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From the article:

"The bird's remains were discovered at Baths Island on Sunday afternoon. It is believed it was killed at some point over the weekend.

Wendy Hermon, of Swan Lifeline, the charity that removed the carcass, said: "It was the remains of what looked like a swan that had been cooked."

She added that it was a "horrific" sight and said the carcass had been "stripped of the meat".

Since the 12th century the Monarchy (only) have been entitled to kill and cook Swans, which were a major food source. Nowadays such rights for the Monarchy are severely restricted to a few tributaties of the Thames, and fewer stretches of the Thames "proper".

What I dont understand is the recent squeamishness about eating Swan - a very low fat, yet high protein food source.... Swanneries were commonplace in Mediaeval times, so why no Swan Burgers in Tesco's?? :unsure2: :unsure2: :clap:

Link to Swan sauce Source (BBC): http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-23778649

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"Horrific sight"? Behave yourself, Mrs Woman. A starving child is an horrific sight, a dead swan is a dead swan, fgs.

There are some animal rights campaigners that need a reality check, imo. (no offence)

Edited by Eldorado
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I don't imagine that eating swan would be much different than eating duck.

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Hmm, any reports of how it tastes?

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Hmm, any reports of how it tastes?

Probably a little foul. :whistle:

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The suspects face a maximum six months jail sentence and £5,000 fine because wild swans are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

But Mr Barber said if the dead swan is claimed by the Crown, the suspects could also be prosecuted for damaging Crown property.

http://uk.news.yahoo...64.html#Hhuk86C

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I don't understand why swan eating is taboo either. Are geese eaten anywhere or is it strictly ducks?

I agree that it was a horrific sight, only because someone wasted their time cooking the bird and just left it. What a waste of fowl!

Edited by Child of Bast
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"Horrific sight"? Behave yourself, Mrs Woman. A starving child is an horrific sight, a dead swan is a dead swan, fgs.

There are some animal rights campaigners that need a reality check, imo. (no offence)

How many starving children in Windsor have you seen? If someone killed and cooked your dog/cat, would that not be a horrific sight?

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I don't understand why swan eating is taboo either. Are geese eaten anywhere or is it strictly ducks?

The Ealdwita dinner table is quite often graced by a roast goose.

The majority of swan killings in the UK in recent times have been attributed to immigrants from Central and Eastern Europe where swan consumption is commonplace.

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How many starving children in Windsor have you seen? If someone killed and cooked your dog/cat, would that not be a horrific sight?

Are you the full shilling?

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I don't imagine that eating swan would be much different than eating duck.

Most people agree that swan meat is tough and stringy and not a pleasant gourmet experience! In fact, a common recipe for roast swan is to place the plucked bird in the centre of a medium hot oven with two largish stones. When the stones become al dente then the swan is ready!

s9178.gif

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When the stones become al dente then the swan is ready!

LOL - that was funny!

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I would never eat swan as it would be too exotic for my palette.

I didn't know much about swans, so I learned from this link: http://www.theswansanctuary.org.uk/faq.php So thank you, OP for inspiring me to look something up:)

At this time Mute Swans were protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act due to a court order, but in 2005 the United States Department of the Interior officially declared them a non-native, unprotected species.[36] Mute Swans are protected in some areas of the U.S. by local laws, as for example in Connecticut
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mute_Swan

I believe it's as taboo in America. No one ever talked about eating Swan where I'm from.

Kind Regards :)

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I would never eat swan as it would be too exotic for my palette.

I didn't know much about swans, so I learned from this link: http://www.theswansa....org.uk/faq.php So thank you, OP for inspiring me to look something up:)

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mute_Swan

I believe it's as taboo in America. No one ever talked about eating Swan where I'm from.

Kind Regards :)

That must be that no one ever was hungry enough or did not have the means to catch a swan at that time.

I have an old cookbook that actually has a recipe for swan (the original is from the 18th century), but recommends to only eat young birds as older ones tend to be very greasy and its taste tends to be rancid. Besides that, in most of Europe it was a privilege of royal households to eat swan (don't know if that applies to England).

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They are hunted and eaten here.....USA

Swan+Hunt+004.jpg

swanhunts3.JPG

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There have been forigners killing and eating swans around the UK on odd occasions, as well as stealing fish from lakes and rivers (and even people's ponds) :/

It's quite a hefty punishment if you get caught. Also it's illigal to take ANY bird eggs from the wild here as well.

Edited by Finity
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I haven't seen any swan meat for sale anywhere, nor have I heard of people eating them. Swans are rarely seen around here when alive.

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Swans are such beautiful graceful creatures, they should not be eaten! One of my dreams is to have black swans gliding on the waters here (there are none in this corner of the woods)! Many years ago there used to be a territorial swan here, it attacked the postman every time he tried to cross a narrow wooden bridge across the waters. However, it met a tragic end when it flew too low and impaled itself on the fence!

El, if one is hungry and wants to live off the land, they can do it the French way: how about nettle soup with snails, frog legs, roasted hares with wild mushrooms and chestnuts, with a dandelion salad on the side (a three course meal :yes: )? If swans taste bad and have stringy meat, and I assume when plucked and cooked they would look like an inflated goose, it would be adding insult to injury to eat these beautiful birds.

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How many starving children in Windsor have you seen? If someone killed and cooked your dog/cat, would that not be a horrific sight?

Sincere apologies for my previous outburst, Redhen. :(

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El, if one is hungry and wants to live off the land, they can do it the French way: how about nettle soup with snails, frog legs, roasted hares with wild mushrooms and chestnuts, with a dandelion salad on the side (a three course meal :yes: )? If swans taste bad and have stringy meat, and I assume when plucked and cooked they would look like an inflated goose, it would be adding insult to injury to eat these beautiful birds.

I'm not condoning the killing of swans, I just found the reaction, the choice of words, of the lady to be an over-reaction. (Only my opinion, of course) If it was her pet swan, with a name and it stayed with her and was part of the family, then I would understand it more.

Does she have to avert her eyes when visiting a supermarket because of all those dead chickens etc on display? Is it a traumatic experience visiting Tesco? I doubt it.

(no offence intended)

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Sincere apologies for my previous outburst, Redhen. :(

No worries, anyone with a Dirty Harry avatar can't be all bad.

I do want to press your initial point though. Many times when someone links to a news story about a crime involving animals, inevitably someone will post a comment advising us to disregard it and instead turn our concern to starving children somewhere. I just want to state that their is no either/or when it comes to compassion. Indeed, I believe compassion for animals and children go hand in hand.

Let's not forget that William Wilberforce, after he almost single-handedly ended slavery in the British empire, went on to champion animal and children's welfare. In the U.S.A., Henry Bergh, founder of the ASPCA, was instrumental in child welfare law.

cheers

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Ealdwita snippet alert.......

Swans made their appearance as part of many a Renaissance feast - especially a 'Royal' one, served resplendent in their plumage amd 'swimming' on a base of green jelly, but the meat itself was rarely, if ever eaten, and were merely 'fancies' which showed the skill of the cooks. Lambs were served in the same way, in their wooly coats and gambolling across platters of green vegetables. The meats that were intended to be eaten were almost invariably served in a more accessible manner, (much as we would serve them today).

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I think the problem with this news story is it concerns a swan which isn't normally on the menu. Plus they shouldn't have just left it for others to come across. I don't think what they did was right either, swans aren't meant to be killed and eaten for a number of reasons and they're one of the few birds who pair for life, which could mean it has a partner somewhere who'll be missing it.

I know people have to eat, but that doesn't make what they did 'right' imo.

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I think the problem with this news story is it concerns a swan which isn't normally on the menu. Plus they shouldn't have just left it for others to come across. I don't think what they did was right either, swans aren't meant to be killed and eaten for a number of reasons and they're one of the few birds who pair for life, which could mean it has a partner somewhere who'll be missing it.

I know people have to eat, but that doesn't make what they did 'right' imo.

So you mean we have to eat two swans then?

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Swans are such beautiful graceful creatures, they should not be eaten! One of my dreams is to have black swans gliding on the waters here (there are none in this corner of the woods)! Many years ago there used to be a territorial swan here, it attacked the postman every time he tried to cross a narrow wooden bridge across the waters. However, it met a tragic end when it flew too low and impaled itself on the fence!

El, if one is hungry and wants to live off the land, they can do it the French way: how about nettle soup with snails, frog legs, roasted hares with wild mushrooms and chestnuts, with a dandelion salad on the side (a three course meal :yes: )? If swans taste bad and have stringy meat, and I assume when plucked and cooked they would look like an inflated goose, it would be adding insult to injury to eat these beautiful birds.

So swans can't be eaten but snails and frogs and hares can?

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