Pigeons with Olive Sauce

About the dish

A party dish from the chapter "Poultry and game" in "Stor kokebok" (1914). The dish shows the French influence of the era, with olives, red wine and puff pastry slices as garnish.

How to make it

1. 1

   Lard the pigeons

   Lard the well-cleaned pigeons with small, fine pork strips.

2. 2

   Soak the giblets

   Wash the gizzard, liver and heart carefully and soak them in water for about half an hour.

3. 3

   Brown the pigeons

   Brown the butter in a sauté pan and brown the pigeons in it, one by one. Then brown the gizzard, liver and heart a little in the butter.

4. 4

   Roast tender

   Return the pigeons to the pan, salt them, and thin with the boiling milk a little at a time along with a bit more butter and the dissolved bouillon cubes. Baste the pigeons well during roasting, which takes about 1 hour.

5. 5

   Make the olive sauce

   Brown 50 g butter and 50 g flour over low heat, thin with the strained stock and let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes. Add red wine, cream, pitted olives and a little of the olive brine. Reduce the sauce well.

6. 6

   Plating

   Cut the pigeons open lengthwise, place them on a flat, warm platter and pour the reduced olive sauce over. Arrange puff pastry slices around the platter if desired.