Roast Pigeons
Ingredients
Directions
Lard the pigeons and roast them like partridges.
Make the gravy similarly, adding ground clove and claret.
Ensure the pigeons are young for the best flavor.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Pigeons
- Provide the main meat, which is best when young for tender, well-flavored results.
- Lard
- Adds fat that bastes the birds, keeping the lean meat moist and promoting browning in the oven.
- Claret
- Adds acidity and wine flavor to the gravy, balancing the richness of the meat.
- Ground clove
- Contributes a warm, aromatic spice flavor to the gravy.
The step that matters
Lard the pigeons before roasting. Lean birds dry out easily in the oven. Larding places fat over or into the meat, which keeps it moist and helps it brown as it cooks.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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