Why raise pigeons, the delicious bird?

I have noticed that one of the most common superlatives used to describe the taste of a pigeon is “delicious.” Webster defines the meaning as very pleasant, delicious and delicious, and others add delicious, extremely pleasant to the sense of taste and capable of provoking desire. Having eaten some, I must agree.

I started raising pigeons and pigeons after reading “Raising Small Meat Animals” by Victor M. Giammattei, DVM, 1976. His chapter titled “Raising Delicious Pigeons” caught my attention, and I quote the first paragraph. He says: “Curiously, nowadays few people are familiar with pigeons, even fewer have eaten them and fewer have raised them. There is no logic in this, since pigeons are easy to raise and their meat is the best of all. poultry meat. “.

All right, you have my attention, sir. I was one of the uninitiated, because at that time I had never eaten a pigeon or seen it offered. Continuous. “The pigeon is located together with the filet mignon, the lobster or the suckling kid (kid). It is only found on the menus of better restaurants and hotels, on steamboats, in country clubs and in some hospitals. It has been a entrance to the dinner of kings, queens and other nobility from the time of the ancient Greeks … Considering the ease with which they can be raised, the quality of their meat and the modest cost to the backyard grower, there is no reason why the energetic family must be without pigeon meat, in the opinion of the author, the most select of all meats “. Why didn’t I actually ask him? How had I managed to miss this taste? Sign me up.

As if this was not enough to convince me of the quality of the pigeon, since then I have found other interesting references. Philippa Scott, from her “Gourmet Game,” lists a recipe for “Trid,” or Moroccan pancakes filled with pigeon. She writes: “In his” Moorish Recipes “, John, 4th Marquis of Bute, suggests that this dish may well have been introduced to Morocco at the time of Mulai Idris, a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad, who fled to Morocco from Mecca, and whose body lies buried in Fez, the land of his exile. It is reputed to be the oldest Arabic dish, and it is said that when the Prophet Muhammad was asked what he liked best in the world, he replied that he loved his wife above of everything, but after her he loved “Trid”.

The Chinese have raised disputes for more than 2,000 years. Today, pigeon farms are big business in China, and several hundred are operated with the approval and support of the government. They are also great medicine. The Chinese believe that squab is not only delicious and easy to digest, but meat and broth can be used to treat a variety of health problems. Ancient people used to call pigeons “the sweet-blooded animal” and it can be used to cure anemia, weakness and fatigue. It can be used to prevent high blood pressure, vascular sclerosis, and osteoporosis, just to name a few. The pigeon was the first type of poultry to be designated as “green food” by the China Green Food Development Center, which means that the pigeon is the cleanest and most immaculate meat product to consume.

In the American scene, the use of the pigeon may be the result of people’s memory and affection for the tenderness and taste of the passenger pigeon, and we know what happened to that miraculous horde. They ate them. Thomas Jefferson and the history of the United States are always intertwined. Among many other things, Jefferson was an “enthusiast”, there should have been such a term in those days. He loved his land, his crops, and the food they provided him. He was famous for his dinners and for his dinner guests. Squab was on the menu, raised in his own lofts. The “Pigeon in compote”, a French recipe, was one of his favorite dishes.

William Randolph Hearst, in his day, was one of the richest and most powerful men in America. Like Jefferson, he was also famous for his dinners and extensive menus. The estate was well known for its pigeon and pigeon dinners, served to other American royalty and celebrities who were lucky enough to be included on the guest list. If they were very lucky, “Hearst Ranch Squab,” a stuffed and roasted bird, would be on the table.

So friends, try a pigeon today. If it’s good enough for a prophet, an American founding father, and one of the richest men in the world, it’s good enough for me. After all, 1.4 billion Chinese, with a “B”, can’t be wrong.

By the way, did I mention that you can raise them in a little backyard? You don’t have to be born of royal lineage either, but you can dine the way you do. They are a most “delicious” bird.

Recipes

Trid: Moroccan pancakes stuffed with pigeon

1 1/2 pound pigeon meat, cut into about 20 pieces. Salt, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, a good pinch of saffron, 1 teaspoon of ground ginger, 1 stick of cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of chopped chervil, 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley, 3 large onions (chopped), 1/2 cup of water, 1 cup olive oil, 3 heaping cups of flour.

Simmer the meat, salt and pepper, spices and herbs, onions, water and 1/2 cup olive oil in a heavy saucepan with a tight lid. Make a simple dough with the flour and very little water. Work well, then turn it into about 20 balls the size of small chicken eggs. Flatten each one on a lightly greased board to form a very thin disk. Cook each one on a dry griddle, not too hot but cooked on each side.

Place half of these cooked pancakes on an ovenproof plate, overlapping and working up the sides of the plate. When the meat is tender, remove the cinnamon stick and place the meat on top of the pancakes. Top with the remaining pancakes. Pour some of the cooking liquid over the trid and serve the rest as a sauce.

From Gourmet Game: Recipes and Anecdotes from Around the World by Philippa Scott.

Pigeon in compote

6 plump squabs, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 cup finely chopped onion, 1 finely chopped carrot, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 slices of diced bacon, 1/4 pound sliced ​​mushrooms, 1/3 cup of sherry or Madeira.

Tie the cushions. Melt the butter in a saucepan with a tight lid. Add the pigeons along with the onion, carrot and salt. Saute until delicately browned on all sides, turning the birds frequently. Then add the bacon, mushrooms, and sherry or Madeira. Cover tightly and simmer in the oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until tender when tested with a fork. Don’t overcook or they will fall apart. Remove the birds and serve with the sauce on the side.

Hearst Rancher Pigeon

6 stuffed pigeons, 3 cups breadcrumbs, 4 eggs, 2 cups grated Romano cheese, 2 garlic gloves, 2 teaspoons chopped parsley, 3 chopped onions, a pinch of marjoram, salt and pepper to taste, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 cup burgundy.

Drain the dried pigeons, cut the tips of the wings. Mix the ingredients, except the oil and claret. Fill the birds with the mixer and the closed skewer. Brush the poultry with oil and place the breast side up in an uncovered baking dish. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven until golden brown (35 minutes). Brush with oil, sprinkle with claret. Serve on thin toast with a Borderlino or California red wine.