Cody Casey
Pigeon pie is a rustic dish made from tender pigeons cooked until the meat is tender and made into a thick, rich filling. While there are various ways to cook pigeon, one way is to use an Insta Pot. Using an Insta Pot is a simple, effective way to cook pigeon meat, with the added benefit of being a single appliance that does the job of seven different ones.
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What You'll Learn
Prepare the bird
Preparing the pigeon bird for cooking involves a few steps, starting with plucking the feathers. While this can be time-consuming, it is optional, and you can choose to simply discard the skin and feathers if preferred. However, if you do decide to pluck the bird, it is recommended to skip the wings as they can be easily clipped off with shears.
Once the bird is plucked, you will need to remove the internal organs and clean the cavity thoroughly. Rinse the bird under cold running water, making sure to remove any remaining feathers or debris. After cleaning, you can choose to portion the bird into smaller pieces or keep it whole, depending on your preferred cooking method and presentation.
For a pigeon pie, as suggested by one source, you would want to simmer the whole bird until the meat is tender. This can be done in a pot on the stove or in a slow cooker. Once the bird is cooked, you can pick the meat from the bones and set it aside for the pie filling.
Another option for preparing the bird is to sear the individual pieces, such as the breast and thighs, in a hot pan with a little oil. This will give the meat a nice brown crust and seal in the juices. Whether you choose to cook the bird whole or in pieces, ensure that it is thoroughly cooked to avoid any food safety risks.
Additionally, when working with any raw meat, it is important to maintain good hygiene practices. Wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling the bird, and ensure that all utensils and surfaces that come into contact with the raw meat are cleaned and sanitised to prevent cross-contamination.
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Simmer pigeon meat
To cook pigeon in an Instant Pot, you can first sear the breasts and legs, before simmering the meat. Here is a step-by-step guide to simmering pigeon meat:
Simmering Pigeon Meat
Firstly, you can choose to pluck the pigeon or leave the feathers on. If you do pluck the bird, you can sear the breasts and legs to brown the meat, adding flavour. If you don't want to pluck the bird, you can still get a good flavour by simmering the meat without browning.
Place the pigeons in a stock pot and cover with water. Add aromatics, such as thyme, and white wine. Bring the pot to a simmer and cook on low for around 2.5 hours, or until the meat is tender and the legs move easily.
Once cooked, remove the pigeons from the pot and allow to cool. Then, remove the skin and pick the meat, leaving the breasts whole. You can now use the meat in your chosen dish, such as a pigeon pie.
Pigeon Pie
To make a pigeon pie, you can add the pigeon meat to a mixture of mushrooms, leeks, and bacon. Toss with the sauce and check the seasoning before packing the mixture into a pie crust. Top with a lid of pastry, crimp the edges, and brush with beaten egg. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes, then turn the oven up to 350 degrees and bake for a further 15 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Slow-Cooked Pigeon
Alternatively, you can slow-cook pigeon meat for around four hours until it falls off the bone.
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Make a thick gravy
To make a thick gravy for your pigeon pie, you'll first need to simmer the plucked birds until their meat is tender. Next, pick the meat off the bones. You can make a thick gravy from the cooking broth. You can then bake this in a pastry crust.
- Simmer the plucked pigeons: Place the plucked pigeons in a pot of water and simmer them on low heat until the meat is tender. This may take several hours.
- Pick the meat: Once the pigeons are tender, remove them from the broth and let them cool down enough to handle. Then, pick the meat off the bones, discarding the bones and any unwanted parts.
- Make the gravy: Use the cooking broth as a base for your gravy. You can thicken it by adding a roux (a mixture of equal parts butter and flour) or by reducing the broth over high heat. Season the gravy with salt, pepper, and any desired herbs or spices.
- Bake the pie: Place the picked pigeon meat in a pie dish and pour the thick gravy over it. Top the dish with a pastry crust and bake it in the oven until the crust is golden brown and cooked through.
By following these steps, you'll create a delicious and hearty pigeon pie with a thick, rich gravy.
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Bake in pastry crust
Pigeon pie is a dish inspired by medieval cooking. It involves cooking the pigeon, making a thick gravy from the cooking broth, and baking it in a pastry crust. Here is a step-by-step guide to making pigeon pie:
Plucking and Preparing the Pigeon:
- Plucking the pigeons is optional. You can skip this step and directly discard the skin and feathers.
- If you choose to pluck, you can clip off the wings with shears to save time.
- Simmer the pigeons in water until tender.
- Cool the pigeons until you can handle them, then remove the skin and pick the meat, leaving the breasts whole.
Making the Filling:
- Coarsely chop the pigeon breast meat, offal, mushrooms, leg meat, and cooked leeks.
- Add bacon and aromatics like garlic, thyme, and white wine to taste.
- Toss the mixture with the sauce and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Baking in Pastry Crust:
- You can use pre-made puff pastry or make your own standard pie crust from scratch.
- If using pre-made puff pastry, thaw it completely before using.
- Roll out the pastry dough between two sheets of baking paper to a thickness of about 5mm.
- Cut out a circle large enough to fit your pie dish, usually about 28cm in diameter.
- Spoon the filling into the pie dish until full.
- Gently stretch the remaining pastry to cover the filling, crimping it tightly to the edges of the base crust.
- Use a sharp knife to make a few slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape during baking.
- You can also decorate the pie with pastry cutouts, such as leaves or braids, by attaching them to the top crust with an egg wash.
Baking the Pie:
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Bake the pigeon pie for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top crust is flaky and golden brown.
- Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
Feel free to experiment with different types of pastry and baking techniques to create your unique version of pigeon pie!
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Pluck the bird
Plucking a bird can be a painstaking and frustrating process, but it can also be calming and rewarding. The skin holds flavour, provides fat, and protects the meat from drying out during cooking.
Doves, pigeons, and quail are the easiest birds to pluck and will take substantially less time. Always pluck before gutting the bird, and always dry pluck doves, pigeons, and woodcock. To dry pluck, you will need patience and a good set of kitchen shears. Use the shears to clip the wingtips and chop off the bird's head. Hang the bird by the neck and remove the feathers a pinch at a time, pulling upward and away from the bird. Be careful not to tear the skin, especially near the breast, where it is most fragile.
For larger birds, such as pheasants, turkeys, grouse, and partridges, wet plucking is a popular method. First, fill a pot with water and heat it to 150°F. Grab the bird by its feet and dip it into the water headfirst until it is fully submerged. Hold the bird under the water for 30-90 seconds, depending on its size. Swirl the bird around to ensure that the entire body makes contact with the water. Remove the bird from the water and let the water drip back into the pot. Once the bird is cool enough to handle, gently pull off the feathers.
If you are wet plucking a duck or goose, you may want to try wax plucking. This method requires more attention to detail and a large amount of wax.
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