Pigeon Clamart

This pigeon Clamart with green peas is a classic, refined dish that goes perfectly with a festive dinner. Tender roasted pigeon is combined with buttery soft peas and a deep sauce based on cognac and chicken stock. By first searing the pigeon and then letting it cook gently in the oven, a full flavour and juicy structure is created. Flambéing the stock provides extra aromatic depth, while fresh herbs such as mint, tarragon and parsley give the dish a fresh, spring-like touch.

Dish by Peter Goossens on Njam!

Step-by-step plan – Pigeon Clamart with green peas

Roast the pigeon

1. If necessary, burn away the pigeon’s remaining hairs. Season the inside lightly with salt and pepper.

2. Tie up the bottom with a bridling needle and bridling twine. Hold the bottom straight up and insert the needle through the middle of one buttock through the pigeon to the middle of the other buttock.

3. Then guide the needle under the place where the wings were, pull the rope tight, tie tightly and cut away the excess rope.

4. Preheat the oven to 140 °C. Heat peanut oil in an ovenproof pan and color the pigeon until golden brown all over. Season with salt and pepper, remove the pan from the heat and add a knob of butter. Place the pan in the oven and let the pigeon continue to cook for about 8 minutes.

5. Coat the pigeon with the roasting liquid every two minutes. Remove from the oven and let the pigeon rest in a warm place for about 5 minutes. Then cut the bottom loose.

Make the sauce

6. Fry the necks and wings in some oil until they turn a nice brown. Add butter. Coarsely chop the shallot and garlic, add and fry gently until translucent.

7. Deglaze with cognac and flambé gently. Add the chicken stock and let the sauce simmer for about 20 minutes.

8. Strain the sauce, assemble with a knob of butter and finish with a few drops of lemon juice.

Prepare the peas and lettuce

9. Let the butter brown in a pan and fry the finely chopped onion. Add the raw peas, possibly with a pinch of sugar, and fry briefly. Add a splash of white chicken stock and simmer until the liquid has completely evaporated. Season with salt and pepper.

10. Cut the lettuce into fine chiffonade. Finely chop parsley and add, along with finely chopped mint and tarragon. Gently mix into the warm peas.

Ingredients

For the pigeon

• 4 pigeons, with neck and wings kept apart

• 2 tbsp peanut oil

• 80 g butter

For the sauce

• Necks and wings of the pigeon

• 1 tbsp oil

• 70 g butter

• 1 shallot

• 1 clove of garlic

• 20 ml cognac

• 250 ml brown chicken stock

• 30 g butter (for assembling)

For the vegetables

• 20 g butter

• 1 onion

• 450 g peas

• 100 ml white chicken stock

• 1/2 head lettuce

• 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley

• 4 mint leaves, finely chopped

• 1 sprig of tarragon, finely chopped

• Freshly ground salt and pepper