CookEat Recipe
Braised Pigeons with Sage and Lemon
Young pigeons browned with sage and prosciutto, braised in broth and finished with lemon over toasted bread.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Gather the ingredients: 2 young food-grade pigeons, professionally cleaned and eviscerated; About 6 whole sage leaves; About 40 g prosciutto containing fat and lean, thinly sliced; About 1 tablespoon olive oil; Black pepper and very little salt; About 20 g butter; About 250 ml prepared meat broth, added as needed; Juice of 1 lemon; 2 substantial slices bread for toasting.
Step 2
Arrange the whole sage leaves against the cleaned pigeons. Put the prosciutto slices in the bottom of a close-fitting heavy casserole and place the birds over them. Add the olive oil, pepper and very little salt because the ham and broth are salty. Do not rinse raw poultry.
Step 3
Cook over moderate heat, turning carefully, until the pigeons are browned on all sides, about 15–20 minutes. Add the butter, then enough broth to keep a shallow pool in the pan.
Step 4
Cover and simmer gently, turning occasionally and adding broth if needed, until tender and at least 82°C in the thickest breast and thigh areas without touching bone. Allow about 45–65 minutes after browning, depending on size and maturity.
Step 5
Toast the bread slices until golden. Just before taking the pigeons off the heat, squeeze the lemon juice into their sauce and warm briefly. Place the toast on a serving platter, set the pigeons over it and spoon on the prosciutto, sage and cooking juices. Remove any kitchen string if used before serving.
Step 6
For the seasonal alternative, replace the lemon juice with about 30–45 ml commercially prepared food-grade verjuice, adjusting to its acidity. Add it at the same finishing stage.
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