Roast Squab Pigeons with Spinach, Olive and Lemon Sauce

There are moments when I experience severe technical difficulties. Some times they occur in the kitchen (overcooked meat, burnt vegetables etc). But other times (like now) the problem seems to be mainly in my brain. And to make matters worse, I am the one to blame. I do not need to explain the universal law (or effects) of excessive partying, so for the next few weeks of this festive season, do not expect much from me in terms of eloquence. I mean, the food will still be good- when I finally stumble into the kitchen…

Ingredients per person

1 squab pigeon, spatchcocked (keep the heads and backbones for stock)
1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tsp of brandy
A generous pinch of ground cardamom
Fresh black pepper
Sea salt

Method

Combine the oil, garlic, brandy, cardamom and seasonings.
Pour the marinade over the pigeons and massage into the skin.
Cover, refrigerate and marinade for at least 24 hours
Bring back to room temperature, before roasting.
Preheat the oven to 230c. Roast the birds skin side up for 8 minutes. Turn them over and roast for another 8 minutes. They are perfect when cooked to the medium stage.
Cover the birds and allow to rest, for 10 minutes.
Serve each bird on individual plates, drizzled over with any juices from the roasting dish.

Spinach, Green olive and Lemon Sauce

Ingredients

70g baby spinach leaves
10 large green olives, pitted and very finely chopped
1 garlic clove, very finely chopped
1 tsp finely chopped lemon zest
1 tsp finely chopped rosemary
Juice from half a lemon, or to taste
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper

Wilt the spinach leaves in a saucepan. Add a few drops of water to prevent scorching.
Drain the spinach over a sieve until the liquid has drained away and the spinach is cool. Finely chop the spinach by hand.
Mix in a bowl with the olives, garlic, lemon zest, rosemary, salt and pepper.
Add enough olive oil to create a fluid consistency. Allow to sit at this stage, until ready to serve.
At the last moment, stir in the lemon juice to taste and check for salt and pepper.
Serve immediately with the roast pigeons. This will make enough sauce for 4 pigeons

Crumbed Veal with Asiago Cheese

Most Australian cafes and pubs serve a dish known as Chicken Parmagiana. Do not ask me what this has got to do with Parma. It is an imposter! I have never read of it in any of my books of Parma food and I suspect this dish is a bastardization of something vaguely Italian. It is usually a huge crumbed and fried chicken breast, topped with an over reduced tomato sauce, a slice of processed ham and a mound of plastic cheese. It usually comes with fried chips. The whole experience reminds me of a bad pizza and is too vulgar for my tastes..
I do not claim my version to be authentic, but when it is made with quality ingredients it is definitely a tasty and worthy dish.
Chicken has temporarily been banned from my household, so I am using milk fed veal in its place (far superior substitute).

Ingredients per person
1 thin veal steak
1 anchovy fillet, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Fresh parsley, rosemary and sage, all finely chopped.
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
1 egg, beaten (free range)
Dried breadcrumbs (the Japanese make fabulous dried breadcrumbs)
Peanut oil, for deep frying
A knob of butter
1-2 Tbsp of homemade tomato sauce
Slices of Asiago cheese

Method.
Check that your steak is of an even thickness. If not, give it a light bashing with the rolling pin (I love a bit of discipline in the kitchen).
Combine the egg with the anchovy, garlic herbs and seasoning,
Add the veal steak to the egg mixture, cover and refrigerate for a few hours.
Remove the steaks from the eggy marinade and allow the excess to drip away.
Dip the steak into the breadcrumbs. Coat well, pressing the crumbs into the meat. Place in the fridge, covered until you are ready to fry.
Preheat your grill to hot.
Heat enough peanut oil in a pan so you can deep fry your steak (or steaks if making more than one). When hot, add the butter and fry the crumbed steak until golden.
Immediately drain on some paper, for a minute.
Top with a spoonful or two of tomato sauce and slices of asiago cheese.
Place under the hot grill, until the cheese is just melted and oozing.
Serve immediately. It is perfect with a simple dish of very fine asparagus spears and rainbow chard stalks tossed with a white truffle oil vinaigrette.

Whitebait & Flowers

I have gone on a deep frying mission during this week of Hannukah. And, can you believe, I have actually lost weight! I can offer no scientific explanation for this and I am going to just enjoy this fried food feast while it lasts!
I think the best oil for deep-frying is peanut oil, but I sometimes use dripping as well. Dripping will smoke much easier than peanut oil, so make sure you have your exhaust fan on, or else you are going to smoke the whole house out.
Always heat your chosen fat over a medium heat (rather than a high heat). A medium heat will ensure it heats more evenly and will prevent “cool spots” in the fat. Once the oil is hot then you can turn up the heat to high and fry away. Have everything ready to go. Fried food is meant to be eaten immediately. So make sure everything is organized: hot fat; whatever ingredient you are frying; batter if using; tongs and draining paper; lemon wedges; salt etc. And of course, eager mouths to feed!

A Feast of Deep Fried Whitebait and Zucchini Flowers.

Ingredients
Zucchihi flowers, as many as you can afford (they are pricey)
Sea salt
500g whitebait (tiny, baby fish)
1 egg (free range of course)
1 tbsp of cornflour
1 tbsp of flour
Fresh sage leaves
Lemon wedges, to serve
Plenty of peanut oil for deep frying

Method
Heat the peanut oil in a wide pan, as described above.
In the meantime, place the whitebait in a large bowl.
Add the egg and combine well with your hands.
Sift in the cornflour and combine well again.
Sift in the flour and mix again. The egg and two flours will combine to form a light batter, which should sufficiently coat the fish.
When the oil is hot, turn up the heat slightly. You want the oil to be very, very hot. Ideally everything will cook in seconds.

I would start with the zucchini flowers. Fry them until crisp and golden, drain on absorbent paper, sprinkle with salt and offer them to hungry mouths.
Next fry the little fish. They will be in small clumps, because of the batter.
Cook the fish in batches, until all are done and crisp. Drain on paper.
Finally fry a handful of sage leaves until crispy and scatter all over the golden fish
Serve with lemon wedges and lots of cold beer. 500g whitebait should be enough for 4 people.

Happy Hanukkah

A burst of Holiday wishes to you.

Some readers may have noticed a slight Jewish influence in some of my recipes. It is because i'm studying the philosophy of Kabbalah.

I will be having a few days off & then will be back with more recipes & interesting food.

Blessings and Light to you all.

Creme Patissiere and Dark Chocolate Fritters

Lamb Sausages and Caramelised Onion with Mustard Fruits

My butcher sells sausages of exceptional quality. I am seduced by his heavenly products. Every time I pass by his shop window I cannot resist purchasing the fine charcuterie. Yesterday was no exception..
The sausages I bought contained minced lamb, spices and rosemary He uses no binders or extenders and stuffs them in real intestines
I pan fried them and served them with caramelized onion, streaky bacon and cumin spiced mashed potato.
Mostarda di Cremona (a mixture of fruits preserved in a mustard syrup) was the perfect condiment for this meal.

Ingredients
1 onion, sliced into 1cm rounds
2 rashers of streaky bacon, sliced
15g lard
1 10cm stick of rosemary
1 pinch sugar
1 –2 tsp sherry vinegar
500g lamb sausages
100ml dry sherry
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper.
Plenty of freshly chopped parsley

Method
To cook the onions, put the lard into a wide pan.
When it is melted, add the onion, bacon, rosemary branch and sugar.
Cook very gently for about 30 minutes. Give it a stir every now and then, until the onions caramelize.
Discard the rosemary branch.
Add the sherry vinegar and then remove the onions to a plate and reserve.
Add the sausages to the same pan and brown them on all sides. There should be enough fat to do so. If not, just add a little more lard.
Throw in the sherry, cover the pan and gently braise your sausages for 20 minutes or until tender.
Add the reserved caramelized onions and season.

Sprinkle over with the parsley and serve with mash and mustard fruits. Serves 2.

Risotto nazi

I have written about risotto in the past, so I am taking the opportunity now to be a little more precise with instructions on how to produce a superb quality dish.
I truly believe that risotto is one of the true gifts of Italy, and it needs be made with love and the best ingredients. It appalls me that people use left overs to make a risotto, like it is some sort of culinary dustbin. It also disturbs me when I see a risotto on a café menu containing more ingredients than an antipasto platter!
The thing to remember is that risotto is a rice dish and so it must contain more rice than any other ingredient. After rice it should contain one or two ingredients that compliment each other, plus parmesan (not for fish though) and whatever herbs you choose. Butter is essential and risotto without butter does not qualify, in my books, as risotto.
Never use stock from cubes or those revolting stock cartons you can get from the supermarkets. These synthetic liquids contain soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and caramel. Why are these ingredients in a stock? True stock also jellies on standing and these synthetic science experiments remain fluid, which suggests that they contain no animal proteins at all. Although I do use them at other times, they have no place in a good risotto. Make your own stock. It is not hard to simmer meat, bone, onion, carrot & celery. The result is worth the effort.
And finally the best rice to use is carnaroli or vialone nano. Arborio provides a mediocre risotto, but is acceptable during desperate times.

Clam, Caramelised onion and Pea Risotto

Ingredients
Fish stock
200g fresh clams
1 tbsp of vegetable oil
1 large brown onion, sliced not too thinly
200g vialone nano
50ml white wine
100g peas
50g cultured butter
Se salt
Fresh black pepper
Plenty of fresh chopped parsley

Method

Bring a small saucepan of stock to the simmer. Add the clams and cook until they have opened. Remove immediately to a plate. Keep the stock hot.

There are three stages to producing a risotto:

Stage 1 - La Tostatura
In a wide pan, heat the oil and add the onion. Cook this gently for about 30 minutes to caramelize it. Remove it to a plate. (Usually the onion is chopped fine, cooked to transparency and left in the pan to cook with the rice, but I wanted to use caramelized onion as a main ingredient for this particular risotto).
Add the rice and toss it about in the remaining fat for about 3 minutes. You will notice the rice will become opaque.

Stage 2 - La Brasatura
Adjust the heat to medium. Add the wine. It will evaporate almost immediately.
Now begin to add the stock, one ladle at a time. Give it a stir so everything is cooking evenly. Once the stock has absorbed, continue to add more, one ladle at a time. With each addition of stock, give it a stir. It is a myth that you need to stir continuously the entire time. Stirring continuously will only result in a gluggy mess, not a fine risotto. When the rice is plump, creamy and al dente it is ready. Add the clams, onion, and peas and an extra ladle of stock for good measure

Stage 3 - La Mantecatura
Remove the pot from the heat and add the butter, parsley and seasoning. Here is where you would add parmesan (if making a meat or vegetable risotto).
The final result will be fluid and shimmering, creamy and voluptuous. Serve immediately and under any circumstance do not reheat. This is risotto not fried rice!
Serves 2, with a salad and good bread.

Beetroot and Duck Soup

I based this recipe around the famous Russian soup, Borshch. A few months back, I had the idea of combining duck and beetroot for a soup, but I never got around to making it. I made this yesterday because this time of year is appropriate for festve food like this, and if I lived in the northern hemisphere, I probably would serve this for my Christmas Eve entree.
Even though the beetroot is only one ingredient of many, it certainly takes over (and beetroot juicer stains everything). The colour may seem garish and over the top but the flavour is superb!



Ingredients
2 duck marylands
15g butter
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large red onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 celery heart (the inner tender stalks and leaves from a bunch), chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
1 tsp of ground cumin
1 tsp mustard powder
1 granny smith apple, peeled and grated
1 large beetroot, peeled and grated
1 large potato, peeled and cut into 1-2cm dice
Stock to cover
2 tbsp of cider vinegar
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
Fresh chive
Fresh dill
Horseradish
Crème Fraiche

Method
In a soup pot, heat the oil and butter.
Add the duck pieces and brown over a gentle heat, about 5 minutes each side. Remove to a plate.
Saute the onion, carrot, celery, garlic and ginger for about 15 minutes, using the fats that are left in the pan.
Add the mustard and cumin and cook for 1 minute more.
Add the apple, beetroot and potato and give everything a good mix.
Cover with stock. Return the duck pieces to the pot and add the vinegar.
Simmer for 1.5 hours or until the duck is tender.
Remove the duck to a pate and allow to cool a little.
At this stage you can puree a small amount of the soup, to give it body.
When the duck is cool enough to handle, shred the meat. Discard the skin and bones.
Add the meat back to the soup and season with salt and pepper. Add more vinegar if you think it needs it.
Simmer gently for another 15 minutes.
Add chopped chives at the end.
Serve in soup bowls, sprinkled over with finely chopped dill and a dollop of crème fraiche mixed with horseradish to taste.
Accompany with rye bread and rocket leaves dressed with a mustard vinaigrette. Makes 4 hearty serves.

Honey Pannacotta

From what I have read in my many books of Northern Italian cuisine, Pannacotta (literally cooked cream) is a fairly modern dessert, created sometime during the 20th century. I really like the smooth rich texture of this dessert and it marries well with any fruit. I like to play around with the flavours depending on the fruit it will be served with. I have added some Christmas cheer to this recipe, instead of the more usual vanilla flavouring (actually, I forgot to buy vanilla beans so I changed my plan).
I like to make this just a few hours before I intend to serve it, so it is only just set and really soft and voluptuous.


Ingredients
600ml cream (35% milk fat)
½ cup good quality honey
2 tsp of gelatine
30ml fortified wine (sherry, brandy etc)

Method
Oil 6 125ml capacity dariole moulds.
Over a low heat, bring the cream and honey to a simmer. Turn off the heat.
Heat your chosen alcoholic flavouring separately. I do this in the microwave for about 10 seconds.
Sprinkle the gelatine over the hot spirit. Stir to dissolve and combine.
Add this mix to cream and stir to make sure everything is well amalgamated.
Pour through a strainer into the prepared moulds.
Cover and refrigerate for a few hours or until just set.
Unmold when you are ready to serve.
The turned pannacottas will begin to lose their shape a few minutes after serving, but I think they are perfect at this consistency. Serve with fresh berries.

Anchovy, Caper and Sage Marinated Scallops

I am only going to write this once (or I will try). I HATE SUMMER. It is almost 40c as I write this, and there is nothing glamorous about it (shorts, sweat, body ordour, greasy skin, bad hair) People who enjoy these suffocating weather conditions are freaks. (I am sorry if I have offended, but the heat makes me bitchy)
On a positive note, summery food is the only thing that will keep me from slashing my wrists and these scallops are delicious. They only require a couple of minutes of cooking, so if you are precious like moi, you wont get too hot in the kitchen…

Ingredients
300g scallops, cleaned weight (with the coral still attached)
4 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
1 tsp of salt preserved capers, finely chopped
1 tsp finely chopped sage (fresh is best)
Lots of fresh black pepper
1 tbsp of olive oil
30g butter
Lemon wedges, to serve

Method
Combine the anchovy, capers and sage with the olive oil.
Toss with scallops.
Grind over a generous amount of black pepper and toss again.
Cover and refrigerate.
When you are ready to cook, heat the butter in a wide pan over a high heat.
Add the scallops and sear for about 1 minute, or until lightly golden. Turn them over.
Another minute (or less) and they will be ready.
Serve immediately with lemon wedges.
This goes well with borlotti beans, artichokes and rocket leaves tossed with tarragon vinegar and olive oil.

Enough for 2.

Summery Roast Fish

I love the idea of “one pan cooking”. It is practical and does not require much effort and you get a fantastic exchange of flavours throughout the final dish. It is good too, because there is only one dish to wash after (not that I do the washing around here!)
Because it is Summer now, I am using summery flavours, and this combination works really well. But you could use any herbs or vegetables. Use whatever is in season or whatever looks good. The best fish for roasting are the oily ones. You could use cutlets, fillets or whole fish. The thicker the fish, the longer the cooking time-adjust accordingly.
For a vegetarian version, just leave out the fish altogether, it will still taste delicious.

Ingredients
400g fish fillets
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp finely chopped lemon zest
Fresh black pepper
Sea salt
200g kipfler potatoes, or other small waxy potato
200g ripe cherry tomatoes
200g small onions
200g olives, black and green
1 whole head of garlic, unpeeled but separated into cloves
Zest of 1 lemon, finely julienned
Fresh thyme, left on the branch
Fresh black pepper
Sea salt
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
50ml white wine

Method
Marinate the fish with the first 6 ingredients. Leave for as long as you like, covered in the fridge. Bring to room temperature, before roasting.
Place all the remaining ingredients, except the wine, in a roasting pan. It should all fit snugly, so choose an appropriate size pan. Give it a light mix, so everything is slicked with a bit of oil and bake at 180c for 1 hour. From time to time check the pan is not burning. Add a touch of water if it seems to be drying out.
Remove the pan from the oven, and leave for a while. Turn the oven to 230c and allow it to heat for a few minutes.
Lay the fish fillets over the roasted veggies and splash over the white wine.
Roast for another 10 minutes or until the fish is cooked through.
Serve straight from the pan with lots of crunchy bread. This will serve 2 people, but this recipe will double or triple very easily. Cooking times will be the same (give or take).

Dulce de Leche

Dulce de Leche is a Latin American sweet spread. It is basically caramelized milk, cooked until thick and sticky. This divinely sweet treat has many uses. The most common way, is to have it on buttered toast for breakfast, with a cup of café con leche (milky coffee). Pastry cooks also like to use it in cakes and pastries. My grandmother uses it to fill crepes. She used to also make ice cream with it. I just like to have it around so I can attack it with a spoon and stuff it straight into my mouth, whenever I need sweetness and comfort.
A commercial product is available from South Amreican delis, but in my opinion is not as good, and it is better to make your own. Some people prefer, for convinience to boil unopened cans of condensed milk until it turns into a product which is similar. Why? I ask. It does not cost much less or take less time than the traditional method, so why bother? All that is involved in the traditional way, is to simmer milk and sugar, until the right consistency has been reached. It is not rocket science, and far safer than boiling unopened cans. I have heard freakish horror stories of hot caramel explosions in peoples kitchens. There is nothing glamorous or convenient about scrapping caramel from the kitchen ceiling and curtains. And I guess you would not be needing that laser peel anymore, after the hot caramel has burnt your face off!
Call me old fashioned, but I am sticking to tradition here.


Ingredients
1 litre of milk (I use goats milk, but cow is fine)
300g sugar
1 scant tsp of baking soda
1 fresh vanilla bean

Method
In a large saucepan, combine the milk, sugar and baking soda.
Bring to the boil and then lower the heat to the lowest setting.
Cook very, very gently for about 2 hours, stirring every now and then. You can lay a wooden spoon across the saucepan to prevent the mix from spilling over.
It is ready when it is thick and brown, like caramel fudge. Remove from the heat.
Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add to the “dulce”.
It will keep indefinitely in the fridge. I like to store mine in a sterilized jar, but a plastic container will do just as well. Makes about 1 cup.

Chilled Green Tea Noodles with Asian Herbs & Salmon Roe

The Japanese have a tradition of serving chilled noodles in the summer. The first time I came across this was about 7 years ago, when I worked at Nudel Bar on Bourke St in Melbourne. Nudel Bars specialty is (surprise surprise) noodles! They serve noodles from all over the world, and their menu is sure to please the fussiest of eaters and those who are just after a cheap and cheerful bite. One of the more popular dishes is Cold Green Tea noodles with a Lemon and Soy Dressing, created by chef John Mckay- a wonderful and refreshing combination served with avocado or with smoked salmon.
Yesterday was a hot day and as summery as it gets here in Melbourne. My feisty nature does not appreciate the heat, but I did enjoy this curious noodle dish. Not exactly how it is done at Nudle Bar, but I think my interpretation was pleasant and refreshing. And that is how summer food should be.

Ingredients
200g Japanese green tea noodles (cha soba)
1 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, plus extra
2 tsp of light soy
A touch of wasabi paste
Zest of 1 lemon, finely julienned
Juice of half a lemon or to taste
Fresh black pepper
Lots of Asian herbs (Thai basil, Vietnamese mint and coriander)
Salmon roe (I use Russian)
Pickled ginger

Method
Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add the noodles and cook until they are done. Al dente is not the idea here. Asian noodles are cooked to a more soft stage, than Italian pasta. Rinse them immediately in cold water to arrest the cooking and remove all the surface starch. Allow them to drain for a few minutes and then toss with a bit of oil, so the noodles do not clump together as they chill, covered in the fridge.
In a small bowl, combine the oil, soy and wasabi.
Toss the noodles with this dressing, followed by the lemon zest, lemon juice to taste and as many herbs as you desire.
Serve on individual plates immediately, topped with salmon roe and with a small bowl of pickled ginger on the side. Serves 3.
Note-Japanese noodles are available from Asian food stores. I have also seen them in supermarkets

Korean Chicken and Corn Soup

You have all heard of Jewish penicillin, this is the Korean version.

My dear friend Danniel Ahn taught me to make this restorative and very tasty broth a few years ago. It was very good back then after partying, helping to fortify our vacant minds, fragile bodies and depleted souls. Of course I am older and wiser these days (so too is Danniel) and I prefer have this soup when I am of poor health, rather than when suffering from self inflicated fatigue, Lindsay Lohan style.

The following recipe is just a guideline. I did not really bother to measure anything because honestly, I am not feeling well. I have used a lot of garlic and ginger because of their health restoring properties. If you are making this purely for culinary reasons, then you probably will not want as much, so adjust accordingly. But I need as much fortification as I can get right now…

Ingredients
1 whole organic chicken
1 large onion, unpeeled and halved
1 large carrot, unpeeled and cut into chunks
1 large piece of ginger, sliced
1 whole head of garlic, unpeeled and sliced in half horizontally
1 tbsp of black peppercorns (optional)
The stalks from a bunch of coriander (optional)
Stock powder
Fish sauce, to taste
Cornflour, to thicken
400g can creamy corn
400g can corn kernels, drained and rinsed
3 eggs, free range
Sliced spring onion (optional)
Asian herbs (optional)
Sesame oil (optional)

Method
Wash the chicken to remove any surface impurities.
Place into a large stockpot with the onion, carrot, ginger, garlic, peppercorns and coriander stalks. Cover with water and bring to a simmer slowly. Do not boil.
Cook until the chicken is tender. Remove the chicken to a plate and be careful to not burn yourself removing the chicken from the pot, like I did.
Allow the chicken to cool a bit, then remove all the meat from the carcass. Reserve the meat.
Throw the bones and skin back into the stock and continue to simmer.
This entire process will take about 3 hours, or until you have a well flavoured stock. Strain, and discard all the veggies and bones.
Now, add the two types of corn to the stock, some stock powder to boost the chicken flavour, and plenty of fish sauce to season. Use the fish sauce in place of salt. I used about 150ml, which is nothing compared to the amount Danniel used. He would use the whole bottle!
Thicken with some cornflour, by mixing an amount of cornflour in a small bowl with a bit of stock and then pouring it back into the saucepan and bringing to a simmer.
Cook for about 15-20 minutes to remove the raw flavour of the fish sauce.
Add the shredded chicken meat and heat through.
Beat the eggs lightly in a small bowl.
Turn of the heat and stirring the pot slowly, drop in the egg, so it forms long threads on contact with the hot soup.
Serve in deep bowls, sprinkled with some sesame oil, spring onions and herbs if you wish. Makes approximately 6 large servings.

Wild Pigeon Ragu

Last nights dinner was a moment of culinary perfection in my kitchen, and at my table. Eating food like this makes you realize why Italians love their food so much and, in my view, excuses their chauvinist behaviour. This is the best dish I have cooked all year.


Ingredients
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive
1 wild squab pigeon (you can used farmed, of course)
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped (I used spring garlic)
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage
200 ml fortified wine (Sherry, Marsala, Madeira etc)
400g can Italian tomatoes, chopped
200ml reduced stock (I used pigeon)
Sugar
Sea salt
Fresh black Pepper

Method
Check around the wing joint for any stray plumage and remove with tweezers.
Chop of the head, if still attached. Wash the bird under running water, to remove all traces blood. Pat the pigeon dry with a kitchen towel.
Heat the oil in a saucepan and brown the bird lightly all over. This will only take a few minutes. Remove the bird to a plate.
Over a low heat, sauté the garlic and sage, just until the garlic turns white. Do not allow the garlic to colour in any way.
Deglaze the pan with your chosen wine and reduce until syrupy.
Add the tomatoes, stock and pigeon.
Add water until the bird is 2/3 submerged.
Cover the pot and simmer gently, turning the bird every 30 minutes or so, until the bird is tender and the leg pulls away easily from the body. Mine took 2 ½ hours to reach this point. The older the bird, the longer the cooking time. I do not mind in the slightest, being held hostage in the kitchen by these birds as they braise. It is well worth the end result. From time to time, you will need to add water to the pot to prevent the braising liquid reducing too quickly.
Allow to cool.
Remove all the meat from the bones. Discard the bones and skin.
Throw the meat back into the sauce. Season with salt and plenty of pepper. Add a touch of sugar to balance the acidity level, and reduce until you are satisfied with the depth of flavour and consistency.
Toss this divine sauce with the freshest and best quality tagliatelle and some butter. Serve with fresh Parmesan cheese.
This amount of sauce should be enough to coat about 300-400g fresh tagliatelle.