The market · Meat · France and the north-west, Northern and Central Europe, North Africa, East Asia

Pigeons

Small, dark-fleshed birds with a deep, liverish flavour. Wood pigeon is wild and lean; squab, a young farmed pigeon, is plumper and milder.

gamey · iron · dark

What to do with it

Rosa Ibarra's Clarified milk punch, mezcal and pineapplePigeon would soften its edgeIbu Sari's Sambal ijoPigeon would soften its edgeKenji Hara's Milk punch, with hojichaPigeon would soften its edge
Classics built on it
AnhuiHuangshan braised pigeonPigeon stewed slowly in a clay pot with Chinese yam, ham and ginger until the meat is soft and the broth clear and rich.No one here has made it yet

Kinds

Wood pigeon
Wild and cheap; the breast is the prize, the legs are tough.
Squab
Young and farmed; for roasting whole — French pigeonneau, or Cantonese crisp-skinned squab.

Goes with

beetrootblackberryred winecinnamon

Knowing it

Where to buy
Game dealers and butchers, often as breasts off the bone; squab from specialist poulterers.
Worth knowing
Cook the breasts fast and serve them rare — overcooked, they taste of liver. Sear for 2 minutes a side and rest; roast whole birds hot for 10–12 minutes. Use the legs and carcass for the sauce.

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