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abitmuch · Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2008 9:45 am Post subject: Pigeon

Any one have any good recipes for pigeon?

Geddi · Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2008 2:24 pm Post subject:

I love Morroccan food and have a smallish tajine (although any half decent casserole dish will do if it is deep enough). I recently found a decent traditional recipe which I have yet to try. I may mention this Calne pigeon problem to an old aquaintance of mine who may be able to secure a contract with Calne town to deplete the numbers of Columbidae to reasonable numbers. I then get to eat some of the resulting birdy flesh. :)

Ingredients:

4 to 6 breasts of pigeon
1 med onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ginger powder (or 1/2oz bruised and finely chopped)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric (fresh grated is best)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 whole cinnamon stick
1 flat handful of coriander leaves (2oz / 50g)

6 eggs

1/2 lb. almonds
4oz sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon

2 large sheets filo pastry (buy it in if you can't make it)
1/2lb melted butter

For Garnish
Icing sugar
additional cinnamon

Method:
Serves 6-8 as an Appetizer

1/Boil pigeon meat in enough water to keep covered along with the chopped onion and spices until cooked, about 30 minutes. Drain, reserving about 1/4 -1/3 cup of the cooking liquid then cut the meat into small pieces.

2/Scramble the eggs in a large skillet, with up to 1/3 cup of stock from pigeons, until a soft mix. [N.B. do not overcook the eggs]
Mix cooked eggs with pigeon meat.

3/Blend almonds, sugar and cinnamon in a blender, if you have one, or pound to a well mixed powder with a mort and pestle if you don't.

Steps 1 to 3 can be done in advance and stored in the fridge is necessary.

Filo pastry can be a little tricky to work with. For best results, thaw completely. It's important to keep the spare raw pastry wrapped in a slightly damp tea-towel as it dries out very quickly and becomes fragile and breaks apart.
To prepare for the recipe, separate two large sheets of very thinly rolled out pastry, fold each sheet in half, then in half again and wrap them in a damp tea-towel.

Now you're ready to assemble the dish...

Brush an oven-proof skillet (or a shallow baking dish) with melted butter. Unfold layer a filo pastry a little more than halfway across the skillet , followed by another layer of pastry over the other half - overlapping the two pieces in the middle. Spread about 1/2 of the crush almond mixture over the bottom of the dough, followed by the pigeon / egg mixture, followed by another layer of almonds.
Wrap the edges of the pastry over and seal the wrap. Brush over the whole thing with melted butter and bake in a moderate oven at 180 degs. C for about 12 or 15 minutes. Turn out onto a warmed plate and dust over with more icing sugar and cinnamon.

Serve immediately.
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abitmuch · Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2008 9:30 am Post subject:

mmm sounds lovely!

Block67 · Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2008 7:34 pm Post subject:

There was one earlier, by GTB: Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 9:27 pm Post subject: Pigeon Roulade :thumbl: