Pigeon in Beer and Fennel

Pigeon can be roasted in a hot oven for 30 minutes and served 1 to a portion. Alternatively pigeon breast make good eating. But of course game casseroles are always popular especially when you don’t know the age of the bird.

Preparation time: 15 minutes   Quantity: Serves 2   Cooking time: 2 hours

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pigeons - prepared
1 clove garlic
1 onion - sliced
1 fennel bulb - finely sliced
1 teaspoon chopped fennel / dill
150 - 200 ml stock
150 - 200 ml beer
1 teaspoon English mustard
1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
seasoning

Thickening agent / Beurre Manie -
30g butter
30g flour

Method

  • Heat the oil
  • Brown of the pigeon on all sides
  • Add the onion and garlic and allow to soften
  • Place in a deep casserole dish on the sliced fennel
  • Whisk the stock, bear, fennel, mustard and sugar together - season well and pour on to the pigeons - enough just to covered
  • Bake in a preheated oven gas 4 / 180*c - for 1 & 1/2 - 1 & 3/4 hour or until cooked and tender
  • Remove the birds and fennel and thicken the sauce with the beurre manie
  • How to make the beurre manie - rub the butter and flour together by hand to make a soft paste
  • How to use it - boil the sauce up and crumble in a little at a time, whisking all the time till thickened and all the butter/ flour mix absorbed, use as much beurre manie as you need