Pigeons aux Mandarines (Pigeons with Tangerines) is a traditional French recipe for a classic dish of pigeons stuffed with a mix of onion, celery, rice and tangerine peel braised in a mix of butter, Grand Marnier, cognac, bouillon and tangerine segments. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic French version of: Pigeons with Tangerines (Pigeons aux Mandarines).
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Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
2 onions, cut into rings
1 celery stick, chopped
180g cooked rice
2 tsp fresh parsley and chervil, chopped
livers from the pigeons, chopped
4 pigeons
4 bards (thin strips of fat)
3 tangerines (peeled and quartered)
2 tbsp finely-shredded peel from the tangerines
3 tbsp butter
4 tbsp Grand Marnier
2 tbsp cognac
2 tbsp bouillon (beef or game)
1 tsp caster sugar
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
mandarin orange slices, to garnish
Method:
Melt the butter in a small pan, add the onion rings and cook gently for about 4 minutes then add the herbs, chopped livers, celery and rice. Season gently with salt and freshly-ground black pepper and fry for 2 minutes, stirring to combine. Take off the heat and allow to cool.
Stir the shredded tangerine peel into the mixture and use this to stuff the pigeons. Bard by laying thin strips of fat over the breasts. Melt the 3 tbsp butter in a pan, ad the pigeons and cook until browned all over. Pour over the Grand Marnier and Cognac then set alight. When the flames have died down add the bouillon.
Cover the pan and simmer for 20 minutes before adding the tangerine quarters. Sprinkle the sugar over the top, re-cover the pan and cook gently for 15 minutes.
Arrange the pigeons on a serving dish, using slices of mandarin (or other orange) between them.
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