Comments on: Roast Pigeon

By: Ryan

Ryan — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 18:51:30 +0000

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!

By: Chris Neill

Chris Neill — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:25:24 +0000

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.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:27:13 +0000

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.

By: Beth

Beth — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:57:31 +0000

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.

By: E. Nassar

E. Nassar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:01:20 +0000

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 :-).