ROAST PIGEON AND OTHER GAME BIRDS
Pigeons are wonderful when cooked properly. Maybe they’re not quite as delicious as more glamorous game birds, grouse, grey leg partridge or woodcock, but they’re much cheaper and available almost all the year round. Do not be put off by the urban pigeon, think woods, countryside and plump, cooing pigeons in trees.
Servings
1
Servings
1
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Season the pigeons inside and out. Stick the sage into the cavity of the pigeon, with a walnut-sized knob of butter. Get an ovenproof frying pan hot, and melt some butter; when sizzling, brown your pigeon in the pan, being careful not to leave the pigeon breast down against the hot pan for too long, as this is the most delicate part.
  2. Right your pigeon so it’s breast up and place in a very hot oven for 8–10 minutes. When the butter inside the pigeon has melted it’s a good indication that it’s ready. Remove from the oven and place upside down on a warm plate somewhere warm but not so hot as to carry on cooking the bird (this allows the butter to seep into the breasts, and moisten them), and leave to rest for 10 minutes, by which time the breasts will be a blushing red.
  3. Peas and pea leaves make a happy pillow for the pigeon to come and rest on. Pigeon starts with a P and so does Peas, maybe this is why they get on so well together.
  4. Serve the pigeon with a sharp knife.
  5. OTHER GAME BIRDS
  6. As for other game birds, I would apply the same cooking principle, allowing a couple more minutes for larger birds. The exceptions are your partridge, which should have the faintest of blushing breasts, unlike the darker-fleshed birds and the woodcock.