Pigeon Spanish Style

[Zapp]

This is something I came up with for tea one evening using what was to hand. When I tasted it I was very surprised.

 

You will need (to serve 3-4):

 

6-8 Pigeon breasts

50-100g Chorizo sausage (sliced)

Olive oil

Red wine

Port

Sugar

Red wine vinegar

Salt

Pepper

 

****

 

First, slice the chorizo into strips. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in as heavy a frying pan as you can get hold of until it is up to light frying temperature, and add the chorizo.

 

Fry the chorizo until it is crispy (be careful not to burn it). Once the chorizo has released its fat (the fat in the pan will go red), remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

 

Next, turn up the heat and get the pan hot before adding the pigeon breasts. While they brown on one side, salt and pepper the other. I usually turn them twice, so they get nicely browned, but are not cooked through.

 

Once You are happy that the pigeons are nicely browned, it's time for the red wine. I always cook by eye, so dont have exact measurements, but would imagine that about 2 glasses should be enough (more if you are using a large frying pan - I like the pigeon brests to be immersed by about 1/3). With the heat still on and the breasts still in, add the wine.

 

Now the wine needs to be reduced to form a sauce. If you leave the meat in for the whole of the reducing process they will be tough - I like to let them cook briefly (2-3 minutes) in the wine and then remove them.

 

Once the breasts are out (ho ho ho!), add 1-2 teaspoons of sugar (it seems a lot, but the finished sauce will be sharp (the vinegar), smoky (the chorizo) and sweet). Next, add 2-3 tablespoons of port (dont miss this out, it makes the whole dish) and 1-2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar.

 

The sauce is ready to reduce. Keep the heat medium-high and watch the pan like a hawk. Sauces like this can look like they arent reducing at all, and then go from masses of liquid to a smoking burnt mess in about a minute, and having sugar in the sauce makes it much easier to burn! You will notice that with a high-medium heat that the sauce "frothes", and the consistency of the bubbles will give you a great indicator as to when the sauce begins to really reduce. When the bubbles take on a "sticky" consistency (you will know it when you see it), similar to caremelising sugar, it is time to be on your toes! Keep stirring and perhaps reduce the heat slightly.

 

The finished sauce should be more like a glaze, and should be almost black in colour. Once you can drag a wooden spoon or similar through the sauce and the 'clean' strip in the pan remains for a second or so, it is almost ready. Turn the heat right off, check the sauce for seasoning (wait until it is fully reduced before adding any additional salt!). Return the pigeon and chorizo to the pan and cover it. Let it stand for 5 minutes.

 

I normally serve it with either nice bread or crisps for supper, but it would probably make a great starter or even main dish.

 

Hope you enjoy it!

 

ZB

 

PS, Sorry Mods, I have just realised that I have posted this in the main recipes section, not in the woodpigeon recipes bit!