Pigeon Pie

A rustic pie made with pigeons, leeks, bacon, and dried mushrooms

Prep time: PT35M

Cook time: PT120M

Total time: PT155M

Rating

4.88 stars (8 reviews)

Keywords

Medieval, Pie, Pigeon, Squab

Ingredients

5 whole pigeons (plucked or not, offal reserved)
Water (to cover the pigeons, about 2 qts)
Aromatics for cooking the pigeon (like carrot, onion, celery and a dried bay leaf (optional))
1/2 cup dry white wine (optional)
1.5 teaspoons fresh chopped thyme (plus a few extra sprigs for cooking the squab)
¼ cup cognac
20 grams dried bolete mushrooms (like porcini)
1 medium leek (washed and trimmed, cut into small dice to yield 4 oz)
2 ounces slab bacon (preferably homemade, cut into small dice)
¼ cup bacon drippings or lard
2 cups flour (preferably a blend of all purpose white and whole wheat)
½ cup sour cream
5 tablespoons chilled lard or butter (chopped)
½ teaspoon kosher salt

Cuisine

French

Steps

Put the pigeons, their offal, aromatics, a few sprigs of thyme and white wine into a stock pot, add water barely to cover, then cover the pot, bring to a simmer and cook on low for 2.5 hours or until the legs move easily from the pigeons. Meanwhile, toast the porcini in an oven until lightly browned and toasted, about 10 minutes at 350, then cool and reserve.
Remove the pigeons from the pot, and add the porcini to the stock. Cool the pigeons until you can handle them, then remove the skin and pick the meat, leaving the breasts whole. Reserve all the meat and offal. Meanwhile, begin reducing the braising liquid with the mushrooms until 2 cups remain. Remove the mushrooms then strain the stock and reserve both separately.
Render the bacon over medium-high heat until the fat starts to render, then add the leeks and cook until soft, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the cognac, cook for a few minutes more to remove the alcohol, and reserve.
Pigeon Gravy
- Melt the drippings or lard in a pan, then add the flour when hot and cook until thick, whisking constantly. Gradually add the pigeon liquid until you get a very thick gravy, season to taste with salt and pepper. The sauce should look more like a binding agent for the filling as opposed to a sauce.
Baking
- Coarsely chop the pigeon breast meat and offal, add the mushrooms, leg meat, fresh thyme, cooked leeks and bacon. Finally, toss with the sauce, double check the seasoning, adjust as needed, then pack into the pie crust, top with the lid, crimp the edges well, brush the whole thing with egg beaten well without water, bake at 400 for 15 minutes then 350 for 15 minutes, remove from the oven, cool for 10 minutes and serve.

Nutitrion

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 332 kcal
Carbohydrates: 25 g
Protein: 5 g
Fat: 21 g
Saturated Fat: 10 g
Trans Fat: 0.3 g
Cholesterol: 40 mg
Sodium: 266 mg
Sugar: 1 g
Unsaturated Fat: 9 g

Reviews

Jake on 2024-10-05 (5 stars):
made this and the whole family loved it. I told them it was barn pigeon after and they couldn't beleive it.
Jean on 2024-01-29 (5 stars):
The thickening agent can be a challenge if one does not want to use wheat flour. Tapioca comes to mind as well as Arrowroot. There is potato starch too, but I have only tried Tapioca and Arrowroot. (Arrowroot is hard to mix without it gumming the broth up.) If I am remembering correctly, one or the other might not take well to over cooking. What I came on to say though, was . . . In my Greek cookbook, they use "Rusk" crumbs sprinkled on the raw pie dough in an Apple pie recipe. I believe it is to absorb moisture, most likely to keep the bottom crust more dry. "Rusk" crumbs I believe are similar to bread crumbs. It is my understanding that they sometimes are double baked bread with an outcome of being extra crunchy. Just some ideas on keeping that bottom crust from becoming soggy. Although over doing the thickening agent goes a longs ways in helping to keep the pie's filling nice and thick. I am having varied results, but, practice makes perfect and that is my aim.
Jean on 2023-05-26 (5 stars):
Turned out way better then expected!
Jean on 2023-05-26 (5 stars):
Ok . . . So, straining the broth makes it easier to mix in the thickener. I used arrowroot. Was out of tapioca. Family member off wheat products at this time. I really goofed up the recipe, but, its in the oven. Expecting the worse, but, hoping for the best. I did add in some dehydrated leeks to take the place of the leeks that were strained out. (because I put dehydrated leeks in the pressure cooker with the rest of the veggies etc.) So . . . I really messed up big time but there are always second chances (and third if I need them) Right? And I did end up reducing the stock to 2 cups. (Ended up being 1 cup after I strained it) Thank you for this recipe!
Jean on 2023-05-25 (5 stars):
Hi, Could one: 1 cook the birds in a pressure cooker with 2 cups water (cook 30 minutes) 2 remove meat and set aside 3 put bones with remaining liquid, plus ACV and 4 cups water into pressure cooker to make bone broth. (cook 30 minutes) strain bones out. 4 Put finished bone broth, dried mushrooms, cooking wine, seasonings, herbs, leeks into pressure cooker and cook 5-8 minutes. Next step is to reduce liquids down to 2 cups I guess. I didnt want to do this at first because I thought that I would loose the goodness the pressure cooker created. But, maybe not. I just dont want to lose the flavor by steaming it away. "Remove the mushrooms then strain the stock and reserve both separately." In Number 2, Why is the stock strained at this point? Thank you, Jean
stephen e. hansen on 2021-05-26 (5 stars):
no vegan thoughts???

Pigeon Pie

Rating

Keywords

Ingredients

Categories

Cuisine

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Nutitrion

Reviews