Farm pigeon
Stuffed pigeon with spiced rice
Pigeon filled with spiced rice, simmered until tender, then browned in the oven. One bird per person.
- Serves
- 3
- Time
- 1 hr 30 min
Ingredients
- 3 farm pigeons, whole
- 1 cup short-grain rice, soaked for 30 minutes
- 2 tablespoons ghee, plus more for brushing
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons toasted almonds or pine nuts
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- For the broth: 1 onion, 2 bay leaves, 4 cardamom pods
- Salt
Method
Cook the chopped onion in the ghee until golden. Add the drained rice, the ground spices and salt, then ½ cup of water. Cook until the water is absorbed; the rice stays half cooked. Stir in the nuts.
Salt the pigeons inside and out. Fill each one two-thirds full, as the rice swells, and close the opening with a toothpick.
Bring a pot of water to the boil with the broth onion, bay leaves, cardamom and salt. Lower in the pigeons, cover and simmer for 40 to 45 minutes until tender.
Lift the birds onto a tray, brush them with ghee and brown in a hot oven (220°C) for 10 to 15 minutes.
Serve one bird per person with a bowl of the broth.
Serve with The cooking broth and a green salad.
For this dish
A tray holds 3 pigeons, one per person.
