Pigeon Salmis with Wild Mushrooms

Pat pigeons dry inside and out with kitchen paper. Season all over generously with salt and pepper. Roughly chop the reserved giblets. Finely slice the shallots, crush the garlic, chop the carrot and celery, and measure all remaining ingredients.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large, heavy-based ovenproof pan over high heat until shimmering. Sear the pigeons breast-side down for 3–4 minutes until deep golden brown, then turn and colour all remaining sides for a further 3 minutes total. Transfer to a wire rack set over a tray.

Roast the seared pigeons in an oven preheated to 220°C (200°C fan) for 10 minutes — the breasts should be just firm to the touch but still rare inside at this stage, since they will finish cooking in the sauce. Use a meat thermometer to confirm the breast reads about 50–52°C. Remove and rest on the rack.

While the pigeons rest, add the remaining oil and half the butter to the same pan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped giblets and sauté for 4 minutes until well browned.

Add the carrot, celery, and half the shallots to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened and beginning to caramelise at the edges.

Stir in the tomato purée and cook for 2 minutes until it darkens and smells nutty.

Pour in the cognac and carefully tilt the pan to flame it, or ignite with a long match. Let the flames subside completely — about 1 minute — then add the red wine, thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns, and juniper berries.

Bring to a vigorous boil and reduce the wine by two-thirds, about 12 minutes, until syrupy and deeply coloured.

Add the stock, stir to combine, and simmer for 10 minutes.

While the sauce reduces, carve the rested pigeons: remove both legs and both breasts from each carcass. Chop the carcasses into small pieces with a heavy knife or cleaver.

Add the chopped carcasses to the reducing sauce and press them down into the liquid. Simmer for a further 15 minutes to extract maximum flavour.

Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan, pressing firmly on the solids to extract every drop of liquid. Discard the solids.

In a separate wide sauté pan, melt 1 tbsp butter over medium-high heat until foaming. Add the remaining shallots and sweat for 3 minutes until translucent.

Add the wild mushrooms to the shallot pan, season with salt, and cook over high heat for 6–8 minutes, stirring only occasionally, until all moisture has evaporated and the mushrooms are golden at the edges.

Add the garlic and cook for 1 further minute.

Dust the mushrooms lightly with the flour, stir to coat, and cook for 1 minute before removing from the heat.

Bring the strained sauce to a gentle simmer. Nestle the pigeon pieces and mushroom mixture into the sauce. Simmer very gently for 8 minutes. If serving pigeon pink in the classic style, a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast should read about 60–63°C — a doneness preference, not a food-safety threshold. For fully cooked, food-safe pigeon, continue simmering until the thermometer reads 74°C throughout; the legs should be fully tender either way.

Remove from the heat. Whisk in the remaining cold cubed butter piece by piece until the sauce is glossy and lightly thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately, scattered with chopped flat-leaf parsley.