CookEat Recipe
Pigeon and Veal Pie
A pastry-topped dish of jointed pigeon, thin veal, prosciutto, cooked tongue and hard-boiled egg, baked with broth.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Gather the ingredients: 1 large young food-grade pigeon, about 400–500 g prepared weight, professionally cleaned and jointed into small pieces without head or feet; 100 g lean veal, cut into thin small cutlets; 40 g prosciutto containing fat and lean, cut into finger-wide strips; 30 g ready-to-eat cooked salted beef tongue, cut into finger-wide strips; 90 g butter: 40 g for the filling and 50 g for the pastry; About 100 ml good prepared meat broth, chilled; 1 hard-boiled egg, peeled and cut into 8 wedges; Very little salt, black pepper and a small pinch ground mixed spices; 150 g plain flour; 1 teaspoon plain unflavoured vodka, as a practical food-grade spirit; 1 teaspoon sugar; About 1 teaspoon lemon juice, from a wedge; 1 egg yolk for the pastry; 1 additional egg yolk for glazing; About 2–4 tablespoons warm water, only as needed for the dough.
Step 2
Prepare a hard-boiled egg if needed: simmer an egg in water until the white and yolk are firm, about 10–12 minutes, cool promptly in cold water, peel and cut into eight wedges. Keep refrigerated while making the pastry. Heat the oven to 200°C.
Step 3
Mix the flour with the 50 g pastry butter, vodka, sugar, lemon juice, one yolk and a small pinch of salt. Add warm water sparingly to make a rather soft but workable dough. Knead vigorously until smooth, about 8–10 minutes. Cover and rest for about 20 minutes, then roll out, fold in half and roll again four or five times. Finish at about 2–3 mm thick, large enough to cover an oval ovenproof dish of about 1–1.2 litres. Keep cool while preparing the filling.
Step 4
Keep the prepared pigeon and veal cold until assembly. Pound the veal cutlets thinly between food-safe wrapping. In the ovenproof dish arrange half the pigeon and veal, then half the prosciutto and tongue, half the 40 g filling butter in small pieces and four wedges of egg. Season sparingly with salt, pepper and mixed spices. Repeat with the remaining filling ingredients to make a low mound.
Step 5
Pour in the cold broth so a little is visible around the edge without overflowing. Cover with the pastry, seal it to the dish rim and trim. Decorate with pastry trimmings if desired and make a small steam vent. Brush with the additional yolk. Bake immediately on a tray to catch any drips.
Step 6
Bake at 200°C for about 15 minutes, then at 180°C for about 50–70 minutes, covering the pastry loosely with foil if it browns too quickly. Check through the vent and at several positions that all pigeon pieces and the centre of the filling reach at least 74°C. Continue baking if needed. Serve hot, warning diners that the pigeon pieces contain bones.
Step 7
For the chicken alternative, replace the 100 g veal with about 150 g chicken breast cut into thin cutlets and use the same method, ensuring every piece reaches 74°C.
Step 8
For the partly braised filling variation, have the pastry ready and the oven hot first. Brown the pigeon and veal, prosciutto and tongue in the 40 g filling butter with the salt, pepper and spices and cook partway for about 15–20 minutes. Immediately arrange the hot meats with their juices and the egg wedges in the dish, add the broth, cover and glaze with the ready pastry, and put directly into the hot oven. Finish until every poultry piece and the centre reach 74°C. Do not cool, refrigerate or hold the partly cooked meats to finish later.
Step 9
For the richer braised variation, add about 75 g professionally cleaned poultry giblets, 75 g prepared veal sweetbreads and 10 g thinly sliced edible truffle. Before starting the pie, simmer any gizzard pieces until tender and at least 74°C, allowing 45–90 minutes or more as needed; poach liver or heart separately until fully cooked to 74°C, roughly 10–15 minutes. Poach the prepared sweetbreads until cooked to 74°C, about 15–20 minutes, then drain and remove any remaining tough membrane. Cut the cooked organs small and add them and the truffle to the braised filling with an extra 10 g butter and about 30 ml broth. Use a slightly larger dish, assemble without holding the partly cooked meats and bake to the same final checks.
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