Pot-Roasted Pigeons in Chianti and Liver Stock Sauce

Whilst I’m not Keith Floyd flying around Tuscany in an Aston Martin convertible, I am able to enjoy some of the dishes he cooked up in town squares. The Tuscans are fond of all sorts of meats and up pops this Winter dish which we had in Spring many years ago. Essentially a peasant stew of sorts, it should blow away the cobwebs wherever it is eaten.  Searching through my old notes I realised that its not easy finding the original recipe so I’ve gone back to the Italian cookbooks that discuss the proper way to cook a pigeon. I’d also asked for the livers to be kept back too because they form such an integral part of the sauce. They lend an earthy and subtle richness of flavour to the whole dish. You have to enjoy offal but it makes sense to respect the bird. These came from our butcher but we had to ask for them and have them prepared.

The other really interesting Tuscan inspired addition is the use of risotto rice which is added to the remaining sauce once the birds have been cooked (sauteed).

Ingredients:

• 1 cup olive oil – for cooking
• 2 pigeons – plucked, heads removed!
• Large bunch of sage leaves for stuffing pigeons
• 1-2 tsps of salt and pepper for seasoning the pigeons
• 1 medium onion – finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic – finely chopped
• 1 glass of chianti classico wine
• 1 Tbsp parsley – roughly chopped
• 1 celery stick – chopped roughly
• 1-2 tsps tomato puree
• 2 cups chicken, game or pigeon stock
• pigeon livers – chopped finely as possible
• 150g risotto rice
• 1 knob of butter -salted
• 1 cup finely grated sheep’s cheese (but not Parmesan or pecorino)

Preparation: 

1. Heat olive oil in a deep sided skillet or heavy bottomed casserole dish over a medium flame until hot enough for frying.
2. Take each pigeon and stuff with sage.
3. Season the pigeons with salt and black pepper
4. Brown the pigeons in the frying olive oil and heat on a high heat level for about 5-8 minutes so they colour. Make sure as much of the bird is coated and browned. 
5. Add the chopped onions, celery, garlic and stir into the oil and pigeons.  
6. Add 2 cups of stock and continue cooking.
7. Add one glass full red wine (chianti), tomato puree (ideally 2 tsps I think for two birds). Stir this in.
8. Add the chopped pigeon livers and make sure everything is stirred in.
9. Put a lid on the casserole dish or skillet and leave to simmer on a relatively low heat for just over 45 minutes. Check to make sure from time to time that no parts are catching or burning. 
10. After simmering, remove the pigeons and place in a warm earthenware dish or metal tray. This can be kept in an oven at about 50C whilst the remaining preparation takes place. These birds should be nicely browned all over. Add two ladles worth of giblet sauce just to keep the birds moist.
11. Add the rice to the remaining sauce in the casserole dish. Stir in and then add a knob of butter.
12. Bring the sauce to the boil and then immediately return to a low heat. Replace the lid.
13. The rice then cooks using that heat and soaks up the rich juice. After 15 minutes, the rice should have absorbed all that sauce. 
14. Add the sheep’s cheese and stir into the sauce.
15. To plate up, place a portion of risotto on the dish followed by the pigeons.  Spoon over the meaty stock sauce onto the pigeons.