Recipes

Pigeon and beef casserole

This recipe for pigeon and beef casserole makes a dish that is good all year round, but particularly suited to winter evenings

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If you find pigeon a bit chewy, cooking this game meat in a casserole will produce a more tender texture. This pigeon recipe is also perfect if you’ve ended up with an older pigeon.

Ingredients:

1 large onion, diced
2tbsp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
900g/2lb stewing beef, cubed
8 pigeon breasts, halved
50g/2oz flour
3 large carrots, sliced
2 sticks of celery, sliced
225g/1/2lb mushrooms, halved
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1tbsp tomato purée
275ml/1/2pt red wine
1tbsp fresh rosemary
2tbsp redcurrant jelly
12 pitted prunes
Salt and pepper

Method:

Fry the onion in olive oil until soft. Add garlic and fry for two minutes, then remove to a plate.
Coat the beef and pigeon in flour and then brown in the remaining oil. Remove the meat to a plate and add the carrots, celery and halved mushrooms. Fry off for three minutes.
Transfer the onion, meat and the rest of the ingredients to a casserole. Season well with salt and pepper.
Put on the lid and pop into a pre-heated oven at 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 for four hours. Check and stir occasionally. Serve with mashed potatoes and winter vegetables.