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A period dish

Roast Pigeon with Herbs

Young pigeons roasted with herbs and bacon, a common dish of the Italian and French table.

Serves 4

Pigeons were kept in dovecotes on country estates and were available all year, which made them a reliable source of fresh meat. Young birds were roasted whole and stuffed with herbs; older ones went into pies and stews.

Ingredients

Produce

  • 1 bunch thyme
  • 1 bunch sage

Meat & Poultry

  • 4 pigeon
  • 4 slice bacon

Dairy & Eggs

  • 2 tbsp butter

Spices & Seasoning

  • salt

Method

  1. Draw the pigeons and season them inside and out.

  2. Put a sprig of thyme, a sage leaf, and a knob of butter in each cavity.

  3. Truss the birds and lay a slice of bacon over each breast.

  4. Roast them in a hot oven, basting often, until the skin is golden and the juices run clear.

  5. Remove the bacon for the last minutes, then rest the birds and serve with the pan juices.

Served at

A countess holds her court · Forlì, Italy

A Borgia table in Rome · Rome, Italy