What do you do with your pigeon?

[wolflore]

I shoot quite a lot of feral pigeon but don't eat them. Most of them are shot in town but I have decided that I will start to use any that I shoot around the airport as it's mostly farm land bordering. I also shoot the odd woodie which always go for the pot.

So, what do you do with yours? Mine either go in to a stew/pie to add extra richness. Otherwise I cut out the breast meat, heat up a nice heavy bottomed frying pan, sear the breasts quickly on both sides, then remove the breasts to a warm plate, pour in some brandy to deglaze the pan, return the breasts, then serve with chips

 

[Deck]

I slice the breasts off, wrap them in bacon and fry in red wine with onions. Serve with mash and onion gravy. Winner!

 

[The Big Lebowski]

I used to supply a local restaurant (also woking in the kitchen).
Same with the searing and deglaze... But it was then carved thin, placed on a green salad and topped with home-made red onion marmalade.

Very, very popular starter.

al.

 

[wolflore]

I used to supply a local restaurant (also woking in the kitchen).
Same with the searing and deglaze... But it was then carved thin, placed on a green salad and topped with home-made red onion marmalade.

Very, very popular starter.

al.

As a big fan of homemade red onion marmalade I too would have picked this! Did you supply ferals or just woodies?

 

[wolflore]

I slice the breasts off, wrap them in bacon and fry in red wine with onions. Serve with mash and onion gravy. Winner!

Do you thicken the gravy with anything? Sounds good.

 

[Everything Mac]

Ferral pigeon?

I thought it was only wood pigeon you could eat?

 

[Deck]

Do you thicken the gravy with anything? Sounds good.

I just give it a good heat up to thicken it. If it really needs a good thickening mix some corn flour with water and add in to the gravy.

 

[Deck]

Ferral pigeon?

I thought it was only wood pigeon you could eat?

Wood pigeons are bigger and will give you more meat. Ferral pigeons are much smaller and I'm not sure how they would taste when you contrast the diet of the wood pigeon with their townie cousins. Anyone tried ferral pigeon?

 

[Loenja]

I used to supply a local restaurant (also woking in the kitchen).
Same with the searing and deglaze... But it was then carved thin, placed on a green salad and topped with home-made red onion marmalade.

Very, very popular starter.

al.

sound awesome

 

[wolflore]

Wood pigeons are bigger and will give you more meat. Ferral pigeons are much smaller and I'm not sure how they would taste when you contrast the diet of the wood pigeon with their townie cousins. Anyone tried ferral pigeon?

If they are living in town feasting on Maccy Ds then they taste pretty poor. Well fed ones from the country taste much the same as woodies, as you said though the breasts are smaller.

 

[Deck]

If they are living in town feasting on Maccy Ds then they taste pretty poor. Well fed ones from the country taste much the same as woodies, as you said though the breasts are smaller.

Makes sense. Out here in the sticks I tend not to see too many ferral ones, but will give one a try if I get one.

Pigeon also goes well in a casserole and makes some bloody tasty gravy. Am loving the idea of red onion marmalade as well...that will definitely be going on the menu at some point this week!

 

[Toddy]

It's worth boiling up the rest of the bird for stock and picking over if anyone is fond of nibbling. First pull skin off after taking off the head and feet. Heart, lungs and the rest are edible. Boiling this lot up gives a stock that will help thicken in a pie since it gets some of the gelatine stuff from the bones and joints like a chicken carcas does.

Ferals and woodies both feed well from the gardens round here. Birdfood, bread and cake scraps, aswell as the wildfruits. Can't see why they shouldn't be edible,

cheers,
Toddy

 

[wolflore]

If they go into the filling for a pie or a stew then they go in whole (skinned) and then are stripped off and bones removed for finishing.

 

[The Big Lebowski]

As a big fan of homemade red onion marmalade I too would have picked this! Did you supply ferals or just woodies?

Just woody's.... But it worked together nicely.

atb, al.

 

[Home Guard]

Cut into bacon thin slices and fry until they are just about to harden, then add a little cream, cheese and white wine.

Bootiful'

 

[wolflore]

Just woody's.... But it worked together nicely.

atb, al.

I bet!

You should post the recipe for the marmalade

 

[The Big Lebowski]

Thinly sliced red onion (2lb) and one bay-leaf.... Saute over a very low heat with a drizzle of olive oil and a small knob of salted butter, add a sprinkle of seasalt and sugar (molasses is better), a grinding of black pepper and allow to cook gently for 1 hour, just about frying. Add a teaspoon of redcurrant jelly, and eather a splash of red wine, or a teaspoon of single malt whiskey and simmer for another half hour to hour, the longer the better really until the marmalade turns dark brown. A heavy based pan is needed to stop it catching or cooking too quickly.

Adjust sweet/savoury flavour with salt/sugar acordingly towards the end. Jar when cool and ideally rest for 1 month although it can be used straight away... ageing improves.

al.

 

[Deck]

Thinly sliced red onion (2lb) and one bay-leaf.... Saute over a very low heat with a drizzle of olive oil and a small knob of salted butter, add a sprinkle of seasalt and sugar (molasses is better), a grinding of black pepper and allow to cook gently for 1 hour, just about frying. Add a teaspoon of redcurrant jelly, and eather a splash of red wine, or a teaspoon of single malt whiskey and simmer for another half hour to hour, the longer the better really until the marmalade turns dark brown. A heavy based pan is needed to stop it catching or cooking too quickly.

Adjust sweet/savoury flavour with salt/sugar acordingly towards the end. Jar when cool and ideally rest for 1 month although it can be used straight away... ageing improves.

al.

Thanks for sharing Will definitely be trying that this week.

 

[The Big Lebowski]

Your welcome.... Go's well with cold or warm game meat, roast phesant, pigeon and even the humble deep fired camembert

Feel free to adjust the recipie as you choose. al.

 

[3bears]

Otherwise I cut out the breast meat, heat up a nice heavy bottomed frying pan, sear the breasts quickly on both sides, then remove the breasts to a warm plate, pour in some brandy to deglaze the pan, return the breasts, then serve with chips

day off tomorrow, no prizes for guessing what I'm going out looking for!!! that sounds amazing!