Pigeons, Roasted
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a good oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare
Pluck, singe, and draw the pigeons.
Wash them thoroughly and dry well.
Optionally, stuff the pigeons or tie a slice of fat bacon over the breasts.
Roast
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Roast the pigeons for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on size.
Ensure they are well cooked but still yield gravy when cut.
Serve
Serve on toast or crouton, brushing with glaze if not brown enough.
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 cooks through in the dry heat of the oven.
- Fat bacon
- Bastes the breast meat with melting fat, keeping it moist and adding savoury flavour.
- Glaze
- Adds sugar that browns in the oven, giving the birds a richer colour.
The step that matters
Roasting time and doneness. Pigeon is lean and dries out quickly, so over-roasting toughens the meat. Cooking to just done keeps the juices in the meat and leaves enough to make gravy.
“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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