Pigeon With Prunes & Honey

Portions:4
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Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
  • 25 g fresh root ginger peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 8 wood pigeon breasts
  • pinch saffron threads
  • 175 g ready-to-eat pitted prunes
  • 300 ml water
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 25 g butter
  • sea salt and black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon icing sugar for dusting
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon for dusting

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in the base of a tagine or a large, heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat, stir in the garlic, ginger and cinnamon sticks and cook for 3 minutes to let the flavours mingle.
  • Add the pigeon breasts and quickly sear them on all sides, then transfer to a chopping board and cut them into thick strips.
  • Cover and set aside.
  • Stir the saffron and prunes into the tagine or saucepan and pour in the measurement water.
  • Add the honey and butter.
  • Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and cook gently for 15–20 minutes.
  • Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Return the pigeon strips to the tagine or saucepan and cook gently for 4–5 minutes to heat through.
  • Dust with icing sugar and cinnamon and serve with chunks of crusty bread, if liked.

Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:

For chicken livers with prunes & honey,

replace the pigeon breasts with 225 g trimmed chicken livers. Sear the chicken livers in the oil with the garlic and ginger as for Pigeon with prunes & honey, omitting the cinnamon sticks, then transfer the chicken livers to a plate and set aside. Proceed with the recipe as for Pigeon with prunes & honey, returning the chicken livers to the tagine or saucepan for the last 5 minutes of cooking time. Omit the ground cinnamon and icing sugar and garnish with a bunch of finely chopped flat leaf parsley.
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Course Fruit / Pigeons
Cuisine Arabic / Moroccan