A fricasey of pigeons is a traditional British recipe, based on Hannah Glasse's recipe of 1747, for a classic dish of pigeons stewed in red wine and water that's flavoured with onion, sweet herbs and nutmeg before being thickened with egg yolks and butter rolled in flour. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: A fricasey of pigeons.
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A fricaſey of pigeons.
CUT it juſt as you do for frying, and ſet on ſome water in a ſauce-pan, with two or three onions cut into ſlices, and ſome ſalt. When it boils, put in your tripe. Ten minutes will boil it. Send it to table with the liquor in the diſh, and the onions. Have butter and muſtard in a cup, and diſh it up. You may put in as many onions as you like to mix with your ſauce, or leave them quite out, juſt as you pleaſe. Put a little bundle of ſweet-herbs, and a piece of lemon-peel into the water, when you put in your tripe.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
4 pigeons, jointed
400ml red wine (a Burgundy)
400ml water
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
2 blades of mace
1 onion, peeled
1 bunch of sweet herbs
2 tbsp butter rolled in flour
2 egg yolks
1/4 nutmeg, grated
1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar
fried bacon rolls
Method:
Combine the pigeon pieces in a pan with the rd wine, water, mace, onion, herbs and butter. Season to taste with salt and black pepper then bring to a simmer. Cover and cook gently for about 40 minutes, or until the pigeons are tender.
Remove the onion and herbs then beat the egg yolks in a bowl. Add a ladleful of the liquid from the pan to temper the eggs then beat the egg mix back into the sauce. Season with the nutmeg then heat the stew gently, stirring constantly, until thickened (do not boil, or the eggs will curdle). Stir in the vinegar then take off the heat.
Arrange the pigeons on a serving dish and pour over the sauce. Garnish with fried rolls of bacon and serve.
