A Tasty Collection of Pigeon Recipes

Pigeon Casserole in Red Wine Sauce

Ingredients:
4 oz. bacon, diced
1 oz. butter
4 pigeons or 2 wood pigeons
4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 bay leaf
2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 oz. flour
300mL meat stock
100mL red wine

Directions:

Fry the diced bacon for 2 minutes, add the butter and the pigeons and brown quickly on all sides.

Remove and add the chopped vegetables, herbs, salt, freshly ground pepper, and flour. Mix well.

Replace the birds, pour on the stock and the wine, bring to a boil & simmer very gently for 1 1/2 hours, until the birds are tender.

Pigeon Cream Soup

Ingredients:
2 prepared pigeons weighting 400 g (14oz) each
1/5 liters (2 1/2pt) or 6 cups water
1 tsp salt
Strip lemon peel
2 small onions
2 leeks
Small piece celeriac
Spring each parsley, thyme and dill
2 egg yolks
5 Tbsp. double (thick) cream
1 Tbsp. fresh dill

Directions:

Wash birds well inside and out, put into a large pot with water, salt, and lemon peel and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Skim off scum continuously as it forms.

Peel onions, cut in half, and place cut sides down in a dry frying pan to brown.

Take the white part of leeks only, wash, and cut into fine strips.

Peel, rinse, and dice celeriac.

Rinse herbs and tie together.

Add prepared vegetables and herbs to stock and continue to simmer, half-covered, for 30 minutes.

By the end of this time, the liquid should be reduced by half.

Strain the soup. Remove the skin and bones from the pigeons and chop the meat before returning it to the soup.

Beat egg yolks with cream, combine with 3 Tbsp. hot stock and stir into soup.

Serve the soup sprinkled with dill.