Tuesday 7th

Blimey, time to catch up…

Tuesday 7th

The bloke in the Arndale Market is selling Wood Pigeons at £1.50 a pop. These things are roughly the size of a fist and while they have a deep flavour, they can be as tough as cricket balls if you’re not careful. It appears that pigeon is seen as a bit of a luxury these days, Eyck Zimmer has put squab (young) pigeon on the menu at the River Restaurant at the Lowry hotel, and the last time I tasted pigeon was as a thin mousse pre-course in an obviously desperate for a michelin star type establishment in Northern Spain.

The bloke in the Arndale suggests a pot roast, and I take him up on that. Pigeons have a tendency to fry out so this one gets a vigorous butter massage before going in the pyrex with carrots, shallots, the usual seasonal veg, some rosemary springs (for no reason other than I have loads in the kitchen) and a couple of glugs of marsala for good measure.

In less than an hour the whole lot is ready to eat. Somehow the combination has really brought out the sweet notes in the rosemary, which has left the kitchen smelling lovely. The sweetness of the gravy is a perfect foil for the pigeon, and the whole lot goes down quickly using mostly my fingers and a spoon. Some fluffy mash would’ve been a hit with this. Next time.