Mini Wood Pigeon Pie #1: Hunter's Pie

 

Pigeon hunter's pie with mashed neeps, cabbage and onion

As the title of this post suggests, this is the first in a series of what I expect to be 6 posts about small, single serving pigeon pie recipes. The recipes in this series were all created (by me!) a few years ago now and originally published on another site, which is no longer current. I managed to save a number of my food and travel articles from the site, of which this series of mini pigeon pie recipes formed but one.

A great many of these recipes use pigeon based wild game stock, so I thought it sensible to begin this first post by showing you precisely how I make a simple pigeon stock.

Quick and Easy Pigeon Stock Recipe

Clear and fresh pigeon stock

While some people may pluck freshly shot pigeons in order to subsequently roast them whole, this is not a technique I ever employ. I simply don't think it is worth it, as there is virtually no meat on any part of the bird other than the breasts. Instead, therefore, I simply crown them and subsequently remove the breast fillets from the crown with a fish filleting knife.

Breast fillets removed from pigeon crown

You will see that this procedure leaves the bony shell of the pigeon's breastbone fully intact and it is from these bones that I make my pigeon stock.

Pigeon crowns and stock vegetables

I find that around 8 breasted pigeon crowns is a good number for making ultimately about a pint of stock. Begin by adding them to a stock (or large soup) pot along with a medium peeled and quartered onion, 2 washed and roughly chopped large carrots, 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme and some salt and pepper.

Water is added to stock vegetables

Pour 3 pints (1.7 litres) of cold water into the pot, ensuring all the solid items are fully covered. Add a little more in the unlikely event it should be required. 

Reduced pigeon wild game stock

Put the pot on to a high heat until the water starts to boil. Reduce the heat to achieve a low to medium simmer and continue to cook uncovered in this way for at least an hour or until the liquid is reduced by at least half or up to two-thirds.

Straining pigeon stock

Allow the stock to cool for about half an hour. Suspend a sieve over a large bowl and line it with a sheet of kitchen paper. Carefully ladle the stock in to strain, remaining aware that it will still be very hot. Sieving it while hot and before the fats have congealed is essential. Note that it is likely you will have to change the kitchen paper 2 or 3 times as it becomes clogged.

Your sieved stock will keep in the fridge for 3 or 4 days or can be frozen very successfully in small batches.

Pigeon Hunter's Pie with Mashed Neeps and Sauteed Cabbage and Onion

So let's move on to today's main event that is this single serving hunter's pie, served with sauteed cabbage and onion and mashed Swede turnip (regularly of course referred to as neeps in Scotland). I've labelled it hunter's pie in contrast to cottage pie (made with beef), swineherd's pie (made with pork), shepherd's pie (made with lamb) or gardener's pie (the vegetarian equivalent). Do you maybe have another name for this type of pie, made with wild game and topped with mashed potato?

Pigeon hunter's pie with cabbage, onion and neeps

Cook Time

Prep time: 1 hour

Cook time: 1 hour

Ready in: 2 hours

Yields: 1 serving

Ingredients

• 1 large baking type potato, peeled and chopped to 1.5 inch (4cm) chunks
• Salt
• 2 pigeon breast fillets
• 1/2 small onion, peeled (1/4 finely chopped for pie and 1/4 finely sliced for sauteing with cabbage)
• Black pepper
• 2 teaspoons pigeon stock (prepared as in further up this post)
• 1/4 medium Swede turnip (rutabaga), peeled and chopped to 1 inch (2.5cm) chunks
• 2 inch (5cm) square piece of white cabbage, moderately finely sliced
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Little bit of butter for mashing Swede turnip

Method

Put the potato chunks into a pot, season with salt and add enough cold water to ensure they are all comfortably covered. Put the pot on to a high heat until the water just starts to boil. Adjust the heat to achieve a moderate simmer and continue to cook in this way for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are just softened. 

Drain the potatoes at your sink through a colander, return to the empty pot and sit aside to steam off and dry out for 5 minutes while you prepare the pie filling.

Chopping pigeon breasts

Note that while the pigeon breasts can be minced for this recipe or, "Whatever'd," in  one of those new fangled food processing machines, I find that by taking a couple of minutes to carefully chop them with a large knife in traditional fashion, the texture of the meat in the finished dish truly is far superior.

Put your oven on to preheat to 200C/Gas Mark 6/400F.

Pigeon meat is mixed with onion and seasoning

Add the chopped pigeon meat and onion to a mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper. Mix very well by hand to fully combine.

Pie filling is arranged in cooking dish

Put the pie filling into a 5" x 4" x 1.5" (12.5cm x 10cm x 3.5cm) ovenproof dish and spread it out to even thickness. Drizzle over the two teaspoons of pigeon stock.

Potato is spooned on to pie filling

Mash the potatoes with a hand masher and set aside to further cool until the oven is preheated. Start at that stage by spooning the mash on to the pie filling in medium sized blobs. If you try to spread it straight on, you will end up forcing the potato down into the filling and spoiling the final effect of the pie.

Mashed potato is spread over pie filling

Fill a cup with boiling water and dip an ordinary table knife in the water for a few seconds before using it to spread out the mash. This makes the process much easier and again helps to prevent the mash being forced down into the filling if you need to apply undue pressure. Draw the knife gently back and forwards over the spread mash to create small ridges and allow for a better presentation as these crisp up during cooking.

Sit the pie dish on a baking tray and cook in the heated oven for 30 minutes.

When the pie has been in the oven for about 10 minutes, put the Swede chunks into a pot of cold, salted water and the pot on to a high heat until the water starts to simmer. Reduce the heat to maintain a medium simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, just until the chunks are fully softened. Drain through a colander at your sink and set aside for a few minutes to steam off and dry out.

Sauteing cabbage and onion

Take the pie from the oven and set briefly aside while your kitchen grill (broiler) preheats to its maximum setting. Pour a little vegetable oil into a small to medium frying pan and add the shredded cabbage and remaining onion. Season with salt and pepper and saute over a medium to high heat for 2 to 3 minutes until just softened, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon.

Swede is carefully mashed

Put the pie under grill for a couple of minutes, checking it frequently, until the top of the potatoes are nicely browned.

Mash the Swede turnip with a hand masher.

Browned hunter's pie

Lift the pie to one corner of a square serving plate (remembering the dish will still be extremely hot!) and plate the mashed Swede and sauteed cabbage and onion to serve.