Pigeons (squab) are wonderful when cooked properly. Maybe they’re not quite as delicious as more glamorous game birds, grouse, grey-legged partridge, or woodcock, but they’re much cheaper and available almost all the year round. Do not be put off by the urban pigeon, think woods, countryside, and plump, cooing pigeons in trees.
After a week of being unpleasantly sick with the flu (the non-swine kind, thankfully) I’m finally up and about. The silver lining is that I’ve managed to catch up on Top Chef. I’m rooting for Kevin, I think he’s got the skills to go all the way. Go Kevin!
I’m going to be responding to comments, e-mail, phone calls, and everything else today, so expect to hear from me shortly. On to the recipe!
I found some very nice whole California squab at my local Asian Market. My previous luck with game birds at this market wasn’t so hot, but I had a good feeling about the two I picked up. If you’re looking for some game birds yourself, Carol Blymire shot me an e-mail a little while back mentioning that D’artagnan has a bunch of game birds in from Scotland that I’m sure are top notch. Once home, the squab were cleaned up and the heads and feet removed.
A quick dusting of salt and pepper inside and out, and the squab were seasoned.
Mr. Henderson instructs that each pigeon needs to be stuffed with a sprig of sage and a knob of butter. I think Julia would approve.
Another knob of butter was melted in an oven proof pan, and I started browning the birds all over, making sure not to leave them on their breasts for too long. Mr. Henderson mentions multiple times that you want the breast meat to be blushing red when cut into. When a nice browning had been achieved on both birds, I placed them into a hot oven for about ten minutes.
When the butter in the cavities had melted, the birds were ready to be taken out of the oven. I took them out of the pan and placed them breast-side down so that the remaining butter could work its way down into the breasts and moisten them, and so they could rest. In the meantime, I softened some onions in butter and a little sherry vinegar as my own little addition to the meal.
Squab is now my favorite game bird. The meat was juicy, slightly nutty and robust with a very mild gaminess. When I cut into the breast, it was a beautiful blushing red. I did a jumping heel click in the middle of my kitchen I was so happy.
Looking back, I really regret the various times I saw squab on a restaurant menu yet passed on it for one reason or another. Never again.
One down, sixty four to go.
Nice pictures!
This recipe was the first I made out of Nose to Tail. I devoured it straight off of the cutting board on which I let it rest: squab is fantastic eating; gamy and meaty, but less fussy than duck.
What a great post, like yourself, never had this before, but now wanting to…
As always, I am in awe
Love squab. If I see it on a menu I order it. Same with guinea hen. I’m not sure if I’ve had squab from D’artagnan but I will say that there is a world of difference between domestic pheasant and the wild pheasant from Scotland. Roasting a Scottish pheasant makes the kitchen smell like a barnyard (in a good way). Nice job!
ok here’s a question I’ve been wanting answered for years. (it’s not often you come across a squab discussion.)
is there anything wrong with eating healthy, well-fed urban pigeons? I’ve heard “they’re dirty” but I’d think they compare pretty well to what comes out of a feedlot. and after all they basically eat people’s leftovers, just like any farm pig.
Beautiful! Did you save the head and the feet? Are they worth eating? Just curious.
By the way, sorry to hear you were sick!
Aw, I’m glad you’re feeling a bit better – the flu is exactly no kinds of fun!
And those squabs (them squab?) look great. And such a simple recipe!
Eating Urban pigeons? I really do not think there is anything “wrong” with it. Damn things are a pest as far as I am concerned.
That being said, I really think the term “flying rats” is a good name for them. They will eat anything. Combine that with the age of the bird (as in not knowing how young the prospective meal birds are) and you could end up with some nasty tasting and gristly birds. Squabs like the very tasty looking one Ryan just cooked up are young and never flew anywhere. So they are tasty and tender. So, it’s more of a gamble I guess to try and eat a good old city pigeon. Those brown doves on the other hand that live in the suburbs and seem to be grazing whenever I see them in my backyard. These taste good. I know that
.
The new book entitled A Nation of Farmers apparently has an anecdote about cooking and eating a city pigeon.
http://civileats.com/2009/10/21/a-nation-of-farmers-a-handbook-for-revolutionaries/
Haven’t read the book yet, but I am skeptical of eating any animal from an urban environment. The Nose to Tail pigeon looks beautiful though. I see one of these in my own cooking future.
The main reason people swore off eating urban pigeons was that in the past, the birds were constantly in an environment that was flooded with fumes from leaded gas. I’m not sure if that’s really a concern anymore, but with an abundance of delicious wood pigeons I’ll blissfully remain ignorant.
I first cooked pigeon according to Fergus Henderson’s strictures and have been addicted to them ever since. With a drink inside me, I’d even go so far to say I prefer them to grouse. Well, if I’m buying them I do.
It might be a bit naughty of me to say so here but if anyone would like a rather rare 1999 UK first edition of Nose To Tail Eating I do have one which can be yours for a very reasonable price!
Cheers.
I’ve been picking squab every time I find it on a menu now, and I’ve yet to be disappointed.
Chris, it’s not naughty at all. Heck, I might just buy it off you. Send me an e-mail with the price please!
Tried this today, after my girlfriend had pigeon on a recent visit to St John, as I’ve been slack and haven’t bought Nose to Tail eating it’s big thanks to your blog post as this was our guide to cooking them. We knew we wanted them rare as that was how it was served at St John (the packaging the pigeons came in advised a cooking time of 40mins).
I served them with green beans in dijon mustard and shallots as this is what the dish had at St John. Overall a delicious and surprisingly quick dinner treat.
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