Pigeon for tea

As autumn seems to be upon us now, judging by the weather in Glasgow this week, I have decided to retrieve the pigeons I've been saving in the freezer for a lovely roast pigeon dinner. I bought them at the Queens' Park Farmers' Market a few weeks back and have been thinking of a rich, beautiful recipe for them. I found this recipe from the wonderful Nigel Slater:

Pot roast pigeon

Nothing fancy, this, just a sound pot-roast pigeon recipe with classic flavourings and a thick old-fashioned gravy. You will need some bashed or creamed root vegetables to soak up the copious juice. Serves 4.

50g butter
4 plump, oven-ready pigeons
4 plump, herby sausages
a medium to large onion
a large carrot
2 sticks celery
a few sprigs of thyme
2 cloves garlic
4 rashers of unsmoked streaky bacon
12 juniper berries
2 bay leaves
1 level tbsp flour
250ml fruity red wine
250ml chicken or game stock
Mashed parsnip or potato to serve

Melt half the butter in a heavy casserole, then brown the pigeons and sausages, cut into four, lightly on all sides. Lift them out and set aside. Set the oven at 190°C/gas mark 5.

Peel the onion, cut it in half then slice each half into five from root to tip. Melt the remaining butter over a moderate heat and add the onion. Peel the carrot, cut it into large dice and add it to the onion with the chopped celery, 4 or 5 sprigs of thyme and the peeled and sliced garlic. Continue cooking, stirring from time to time.

Remove the rind from the bacon and cut each rasher into about six pieces. Stir into the onion and add the juniper berries, lightly crushed, and the bay leaves. Leave to soften, making certain the sausages have the opportunity to colour. After about 20 minutes the vegetables should be soft and golden.

Stir in the flour, let it cook for a few minutes, then stir in the wine and the stock. Bring almost to the boil, then return the pigeons and sausages to the pan and roast in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, until the pigeons are tender but still lightly pink in the centre.

Hmmm.
I think I'm going to roast the birds a bit more simply than this, with bacon, butter and Maldon salt...make a red winey gravy with the juices, and maybe make some baked onions to go alongside. I love baked onions, particularly cream ones with a bit of bay and parmesan. Boil the peeled onions for 20 mins or so, cut into halves, put in a baking dish. Season some double cream (enough to surround your onions, but for six onions I'd say about 150ml) with salt, pepper, a little parmesan and bay. Stir in a little of the onion cooking water. Pour the cream over and scatter some more Parmesan on the top. Bake for 20-25 mins at a medium heat, until the cheese is bubbling, and the onions are browning.

Going now to start my autumnal pigeon and onion feast...

Picture by Ming Chai, Flickr