No close shooting season
The woodpigeon is widespread throughout Great Britain except in the Highlands of Scotlands, the Outer Hebrides and the Shetland Islands. It is found chiefly in cultivated areas and woodland, but also in some urban areas. It roosts and nests in trees and hedges. Although by no means the most common British bird, it is by far the most destructive as it causes millions of pounds’ worth of crop damage each year.
In autumn and winter it feeds on grain from the stubble fields, clover, winter corn shoots, berries and frosted potatoes. Later, in very harsh, snowy conditions, the only available food may be kale, rape, cabbages or sprouts. Pigeons feeding on a diet of ‘greens’ will be in poor condition.
In spring and early summer they will feed voraciously on newly sown grain, peas, beans, maize or mustard, and are likely then to be in prime condition.
The woodpigeon has a broad white band across its wings and after about two months old, white rings or patches on the side of the neck. The plumage is predominantly grey with a blue-grey head and paler flanks and underside. There is a purple and green gloss on the sides of the neck and the long tail has a black tip.
When shooting men talk about the pigeon they are really referring to the woodpigeon as other species, with the exception of the collared dove, are protected. The woodpigeon provides excellent sport and it has the advantage of being cheap and is usually available close to home where the shooter will have knowledge of locally grown crops. It is also increasingly in demand for the table with a thriving export trade in both fresh and frozen birds. It is becoming popular in this country and is more readily available from local butchers and supermarkets. In feather they are cheap to buy and will provide a variety of economical family meals, although they are considerably more expensive to buy oven-ready from the supermarket.
The pigeon is no newcomer to the British diet: as early as the sixteenth century large houses used to breed pigeons for food as well as for ornament and as messengers. Then they cost 10d a dozen. A century later the price rose drastically to 14s a dozen and two hundred years later they were still firm favourites at Victorian and Edwardian tables.
Although not strictly a game bird, the pigeon is one of the easiest and tastiest birds to prepare for the table and should never be neglected by the sporting wife, even though she may have a large number to deal with after a successful decoying expedition by someone in the family.
Freshly shot pigeon should not be left in a jumble in a game bag. Lay them out on a cold surface to allow them to cool naturally and gradually. Pigeons do not need to be hung, but if you are not able to prepare them immediately for cooking or the freezer it is best to empty the crops to prevent decomposing kale or other foodstuff from spoiling the flavour of the meat. Hang by the neck singly if possible in a cool, airy place. If you are dealing with unplucked pigeons in large numbers do not be daunted by the task of preparation, for they are the easiest of birds to pluck as the feathers can almost be rubbed off with your thumb.
Only young plump pigeons are worth roasting, in which case you need to pluck the whole bird, otherwise pluck only the breast and legs. The legs are worth keeping as they may be casseroled along with the ‘steak’ from the breast. If you have a large number of birds, the legs may be used for a pâté or terrine.
Having plucked the breast area and legs, cut off the legs with a sharp knife and remove the feet with scissors or secateurs. Lift up the base of the breastbone and cut up each side of the body until you come to the point where the wings are attached. Cut through the collarbones with the secateurs or strong scissors and remove the whole breast. Peel off the skin from the breast and legs. The liver may be kept for pâté or making stock, or cooked and fed to the dog along with the heart. If you have ferrets they will appreciate the rest of the bird, so nothing is wasted!
Having plucked the breast area and legs, cut off the legs with a sharp knife
Cut through the collarbones with secateurs or strong scissors and remove the whole breast
If the pigeons are to be cooked complete, then pluck the whole bird except for the wings as they have very little meat on them. Remove the head and feet with scissors or a sharp knife. From the neck end remove the windpipe and crop. Make an incision above the vent and draw out the intestines, liver and heart.
Pigeons will keep in a deep freeze for up to nine months. They may be frozen individually or in family-sized packs. A number of legs may be packed together for making pâté. The meat is firm and dense, and a whole bird will serve one person generously.
There are many ways to cook pigeon, either on its own or with other meat, vegetables, fruit and nuts. A young plump squab is delicious plainly roasted so long as it is covered to prevent it from drying out. Generally, the best results are achieved by long, slow cooking, in fact most dishes are improved if recooked the next day. In a pie they are best pre-cooked, ideally in a pressure cooker, to tenderise the meat.
According to their diet, pigeons are likely to be best flavoured during early autumn or spring.
I am grateful to Mary Mason who kindly gave me this recipe when we visited her on our honeymoon. It was the first of countless pigeon dishes which I have cooked over the years.
The breasts and legs of 4 pigeons
450g (1lb) carrots, diced
50g (2oz) raisins
25g (1oz) flour
300ml (1⁄2pt) red wine
The juice of a lemon
6 cloves
Bouquet garni of parsley, thyme and a bay leaf
Salt and pepper
Place the pigeon breasts and legs in a bowl. Mix together all the ingredients of the marinade and pour over the pigeons. Leave in a cool place for 24 hours.
Place the pigeon meat in a casserole, thicken the marinade with the flour and pour over the meat. Add diced carrots and raisins and cook in a moderate oven, 180°C (350°F), gas mark 4, for 2 hours. Serve with rice and a green vegetable.
A squab is the name given to a young pigeon between four and six weeks old. They are delicious plainly roasted or with a savoury stuffing such as sausagemeat and mushroom.
4 squabs
8 rashers streaky bacon
225g (8oz) sausagemeat
50g (2 oz) mushrooms
25g (1oz) butter
1tbsp lemon juice
1tbsp mixed herbs
Salt and pepper
Chop the mushrooms, place in a small saucepan with the butter and lemon juice and cook for 5 minutes. Allow to cool, then mix with the sausagemeat, herbs and seasoning.
Place the stuffing inside the pigeons. Truss the birds and lay two rashers of streaky bacon over each breast. Place in a small roasting tin and cook in a hot oven, 220°C (425°F), gas mark 7, for 40 minutes or until tender.
Serve the pigeons with redcurrant or cranberry jelly and gravy made from the pan juices.
Bacon and hard-boiled eggs are added to this pie to make a substantial meal. Allow one rasher of bacon and one egg for each pigeon breast. The meat is left on the bone for the first part of the cooking and then cut into slices before adding the pastry.
4 pigeon breasts
4 rashers of bacon
4 hard-boiled eggs
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 stock cube
Salt and pepper
25g (1oz) wholemeal flour
225g (8oz) flaky pastry
1 egg yolk
Dissolve a stock cube in 300ml (1⁄2pt) hot water in a saucepan or flameproof casserole. Add the pigeon breasts, chopped onion, salt and pepper and simmer for 2 hours or until tender.
When cool, remove the pigeon breasts and cut the meat from the bone. Slice each half of the breast into three. Slice the bacon and hard-boiled eggs.
Place a funnel in a pie dish and put in layers of egg and bacon and pigeon meat. Thicken the stock with the flour and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Pour the gravy over the meat. Cover with flaky pastry, make a hole in the centre and glaze with beaten egg yolk. Bake in a hot oven, 220°C (425°F), gas mark 7, for 40 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
In early spring the woods belonging to the local squire give pleasure twice over for our family. They provide excellent sport at roosting time as the pigeons return from feeding on the nearby fields and two days later they are on the table for supper. A few English walnuts stored from the previous autumn give bite and flavour to this casserole.
Breasts and legs of 4 pigeons
1tbsp soy sauce
1tbsp red wine vinegar
Juice of 2 large oranges or 150ml (1⁄4pt) pure orange juice
1 beef stock cube
1 small can tomatoes
1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
1 onion, chopped
100g (4oz) button mushrooms
50g (2oz) walnuts
Place the meat in a casserole. Mix together the orange juice, wine vinegar and soy sauce and pour over the pigeon meat. Cover and leave to marinate for 24 hours.
Dissolve the stock cube in 150ml (1⁄4pt) boiling water and add to the casserole together with the chopped onion, red pepper and the tinned tomatoes. Cook in a moderate oven, 180°C (350°F), gas mark 4, for 2 hours.
Add the mushrooms and walnuts, seasoning if necessary, and continue to cook for a further 30 minutes.
Serve with baked potatoes, topped with sour cream, and Brussels sprouts.
Pot-roasting in wine or stock is an alternative way to prepare whole pigeon. Lengthen the cooking time if you are not certain that the birds are young.
4 young pigeon
8 rashers streaky bacon
1 large cooking apple, cored and quartered
150ml (1⁄4pt) red wine
1tbsp crab-apple or redcurrant jelly
25g (1oz) split almonds, browned in a little butter
Black pepper
Watercress to garnish
Place a quarter of apple inside each bird. Wrap each pigeon with two rashers of streaky bacon and place in a roasting tin or flameproof casserole.
Pour over the red wine, cover with foil or a lid and bake in a moderate oven, 180°C (350°F), gas mark 4, for 1 hour. Remove the cover for the final 15 minutes to allow the bacon to brown.
Split the pigeon in half, trim away the backbone and arrange on a serving dish. Roll the bacon rashers and keep hot with the pigeons.
Add the redcurrant or crab-apple jelly (see Good Companions) with a shake of black pepper to the pan and bring to the boil. Spoon a little of the gravy over the birds, serve the rest separately in a gravy-boat. Sprinkle the nuts over the pigeons, decorate with watercress and serve immediately.
This is a recipe which is usually popular with children, most of whom have a liking for tomato sauce. The flavour also goes well with pigeon.
Breast and legs of 4 pigeons
100g (4oz) mushrooms, sliced
400g (14oz) tin of tomatoes
1tbsp tomato ketchup
1 onion, finely chopped
Place the mushrooms and onion in the base of a casserole. Lay the pigeon meat on top of the vegetables.
Purée the tinned tomatoes and combine with the tomato ketchup. Pour the tomato purée over the pigeons. Cover the casserole and cook in a moderate oven, 180°C (350°F), gas mark 4, for 2 hours.
Remove the breasts from the casserole and, when cool enough to handle, cut the meat from the breastbone into small slices. Return the meat to the casserole and cook for another 30 minutes.
Serve with baked beans and potato croquettes.
In early February, after the close of the game-shooting season, many farmers organise a ‘pot a pigeon’ day to deal with the vast numbers of marauding pigeons feeding on their crops. These birds are often more mature and need plenty of cooking. When preparing a pigeon pie it is a good idea to cook the meat on the bone to help enrich the gravy. The meat may then be taken off the bone before filling the pie dish.
6 pigeon breasts
100g (4oz) mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, finely chopped
450ml (3⁄4pt) chicken stock
6 cloves
Bay leaf
Pinch of mace
Salt and pepper
1tbsp cornflour
225g (8oz) shortcrust pastry
Beaten egg
Place the pigeon breasts in a saucepan. Add the finely chopped onion, cloves, bay leaf and seasoning. Cover with the stock, bring to the boil, then simmer for 2 hours.
When cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the breast and cut each wedge into three.
Place a funnel in the centre of a pie dish and add the meat and sliced mushrooms.
Strain the bay leaf and cloves from the stock. Blend the cornflour in a little water or top of the milk and add to the stock, stirring all the time until the sauce thickens.
Adjust the seasoning if necessary, then pour over the meat and mushrooms. Cover with the pastry and decorate with the trimmings. Make a small hole in the centre and brush the pastry with beaten egg. Bake in a hot oven, 220°C (425°F), gas mark 7, for about 40 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
Serve with creamed potatoes and a green vegetable.
A casserole of pigeons flavoured with cider, apples and spices, with a little cream added to make a delicious sauce.
The breast and legs of 4 pigeons
1 small onion stuck with 6 cloves
450g (1lb) dessert apples
300ml (1⁄2pt) cider
1tsp ground coriander
Salt and pepper
3tbsp top of the milk or single cream
Place the pigeon breasts and legs with the onion in a flameproof casserole. Pour over the cider and marinate for 24 hours.
The next day, peel, core and slice the apples and add to the casserole together with the ground coriander, salt and pepper. Simmer very gently for 2 hours.
Lift the meat from the casserole and allow to cool. Meanwhile, rub the apples through a sieve. Return the purée to the casserole, stir in the milk or cream and adjust the seasoning to taste.
Remove the meat from the breastbone and slice each wedge into three. Return the breast meat to the casserole and reheat gently for 15 minutes.
Serve straight from the casserole with creamed potatoes and minted peas.
This is a good way to cook an odd brace of pigeons which is not enough to make a meal on its own. Add minced beef and tomatoes to prepare an Italian-style sauce to which you can add spaghetti, noodles or any pasta that you like.
Breast meat from 2 pigeons, finely chopped or minced
225g (8oz) minced beef
400g (14oz) tin of tomatoes
1tbsp tomato purée
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 small onion, chopped
1tbsp mixed herbs
Salt and pepper
350g (12oz) pasta
Parmesan cheese
Mix the pigeon and minced beef together and fry with the onion and garlic until lightly browned.
Transfer to a saucepan and stir in the tinned tomatoes, tomato purée, herbs and seasoning. Simmer gently for 11⁄2-2 hours.
Mix this sauce with cooked pasta of your choice and serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese, coleslaw and a green salad.
When I first cooked this simple recipe it was just after Christmas and I used some left over port and cranberry sauce, though any fruit jelly such as quince, elderberry or redcurrant will do nicely.
Breast meat from 4 pigeons
Oil for frying
1tbsp cranberry sauce
Salt and pepper
Fresh basil, chopped
150ml (1⁄4 pt) port
1tbsp olive oil
1tsp mixed spice
Pack the breasts into a dish, mix the ingredients for the marinade and pour over the meat. Marinate for at least 2 hours.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the pigeon breasts for 2 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and place on a hot plate to rest. Pour the marinade into the pan, add the cranberry sauce, salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Spoon the sauce over the breast meat and garnish with chopped basil.
Jars of lazy garlic, ginger and chilli in the fridge are essential standbys for the cook in a hurry.
The breast meat from 4 pigeons
Oil for frying
Glass red wine
2tbsp crème fraîche
1tsp honey
A few drops hot chilli sauce to taste
Salt and pepper
1tbsp rapeseed or olive oil
2tbsp balsamic vinegar
1tsp lazy red chilli
1tsp lazy garlic
2tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
Mix together the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl, add the pigeon breasts making sure they are well coated and leave to marinate for at least 2 hours.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the breasts for 2 minutes each side. Remove from the pan and allow to rest while making the sauce. Add the marinade and wine to the pan and heat through. Stir in the crème fraîche, honey, salt and pepper. Add a few drops of chilli sauce according to how fiery you want it. Serve with new potatoes and a green salad and hand the sauce separately.
Extra virgin cold pressed rapeseed oil is rich in vitamin E and omega-3. It has a high burn point making it ideal for roasting and stir fries. Its mild, nutty flavour enhances salad dressings and marinades. Any combination of vegetables may be used in this recipe but aim for an array of colours.
2tbsp rapeseed oil
Breast meat from 4 pigeons, sliced
1 small onion, chopped
1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped
1 carrot cut into 5cm (2in) thin strips
100g (4oz) mushrooms, sliced
1tsp lazy garlic
1tsp lazy ginger
1tsp lazy red chilli
300g (11oz) bean sprouts
300g (11oz) fresh egg noodles
2tbsp light soy sauce
1tbsp sesame seed oil
Black pepper
Heat the oil in a wok or a large sauté pan and stir fry the onions, peppers, carrot, mushrooms, garlic, ginger and chilli for 2 minutes.
Add the pigeon meat and stir fry for 1 minute, then add the bean sprouts and stir fry for another minute. Stir in the cooked noodles and season with the light soy sauce and sesame seed oil. Serve immediately.
Caesar salad must be one of the most popular dishes in America. A simple Caesar salad is romaine or cos lettuce, Parmesan cheese and croutons tossed in dressing, but you may add anchovies, egg, bacon or chicken. My version uses pigeon but pheasant or partridge will do just as well.
Caesar Cardini, a Mexican chef, created this salad in the 1920s. If you want it ready prepared, American style, most supermarkets sell convenient DIY packs containing all the ingredients you need.
Breast meat from 3 pigeons, thinly sliced
4tbsp rapeseed oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 slices white bread cut into small cubes
3tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
1 egg, beaten
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and black pepper
2 large heads romaine or cos lettuce, washed and dried
Parmesan shavings
Combine the oil and crushed garlic. Heat half of this in a frying pan and sauté the bread cubes. Remove the croutons and stir fry the pigeon meat for about 1 minute.
Break the egg into a bowl and whisk well. Add the rest of the oil and garlic mixture, grated Parmesan, lemon juice, salt and pepper to make the dressing.
Tear the lettuce leaves into small pieces and place in a salad bowl. Add the pigeon and dressing and toss thoroughly. Garnish with the croutons and a few shavings of Parmesan.
This pâté makes economical use of all those pigeon legs which tend to accumulate in the freezer left over from recipes requiring the breast meat only. Serve on crispbread or toast with celery, raw carrots and tomatoes for a snack or picnic meal.
Leg meat from 16 pigeons (about 225g (8oz) cooked meat)
225g (8oz) pork sausagemeat
150ml (1⁄4pt) stock
1tsp mixed herbs
Salt and pepper
150ml (1⁄4pt) red wine
1 onion, finely chopped
2tsp mixed herbs
Bay leaf
Pinch of nutmeg
Place the pigeon legs in a small bowl. Mix together the ingredients for the marinade and pour over the meat. Cover and leave in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Put the pigeon legs, marinade and stock in a saucepan and simmer for 1 hour or pressure cook for 15 minutes.
When cool, remove the meat from the bones and pass through a mincer. Mix thoroughly with the sausagemeat, herbs, seasoning and enough of the strained stock to make a smooth moist mixture.
Place the pâté in a buttered ovenproof dish. Cover with a lid or foil and bake in a moderate oven, 180°C (350°F), gas mark 4, for 11⁄2 hours. Chill the pâté overnight before serving.
Finely shredded pigeon meat is packed in individual moulds and set in jellied stock to serve either as a starter or as a light meal with salads and fresh bread.
Breast and legs of 4 pigeons
300ml (1⁄2pt) chicken stock
1tbsp mixed herbs
Bay leaf
1⁄2tsp grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper
25g (1oz) powdered gelatine
Parsley or watercress to garnish
Place all the ingredients except the gelatine in a saucepan and simmer for 1-2 hours or until the meat is very tender. Remove the pigeons and bay leaf.
When cool, remove all the meat from the bones and shred it finely.
Dissolve the gelatine in the stock.
Pack the meat loosely into wetted individual moulds — yoghurt pots or small margarine tubs are ideal. Pour over the jellied stock and leave in the refrigerator to set.
Turn out the moulds onto individual plates and decorate with parsley or watercress.