How do I cook pigeon breasts?

Yes I know, I feel a bit guilty about this but always use the nice, cold-pressed stuff and I know I shouldn't. I don't get it too hot though, saute is more the word. For proper frying I have some duck fat saved!

 

Not too long, 3 - 4 mins depending on size, remove the lead shot first!

 

When I shot Wood Pigeons before I became vegetarian, I'd only bother with removing the breast meat for making pies. I've taken out 2 during the last week that were going to cause serious problems with my veg, so Dog got the breasts and the local Red Kites got the rest.

It's important to remember they can be a pest, and it's only then they can be legally dealt with, and if that happens they might as well provide a tasty meal.

 

When I was a chef, saute described more the action and not the temperature.

Most, if not all will have seen a saute action, the pan handle is lifted so the food collects at the far edge of the pan, with a push forward and lift up motion the pan contents are flipped, turned and mixed to promote even cooking, colouring etc.

I would fry an egg and saute a pan full of chicken or veg, I would adjust temperature to suit the food being cooked, pan type and ferocity of the burners/elements etc

Oils/Fats all have different "smoke" points, butter has a low smoke point hence adding oil which has a higher smoke point to allow higher cooking temps.

Personally, if I wanted to cook something in butter at a high heat I would want to retain that buttery flavour and not add an olive oil taste, I would add rapeseed oil instead which has a very high smoke point and is pretty much tasteless, retaining that delicious butteryness that you wanted from the get go.

Steve...

 

Agreed . Buttermilk tenderizes the meat, so when fried, it will be a lot less chewy, especially as it's been frozen.

Another alernative is to blend mango, papaya and pineapple together, coat meat and leave in fride overnight. The marinade alone doesn't taste of much...infact anything TBH... but can be pimped up to your taste with whatever herbs or spices you like (or just simply washed off). It tenderizes meat like a slow cooker does (not joints though!) without any loss of the meat juices

 

I read somewhere that a marinade should consist of acid, oil, salt and spices. So I used what I have to hand (too-sour-to-drink kefir!). Which is rarely mango, papaya and pineapple! Before I had the kefir I always put in cider vinegar.

 

Kefir is worth a shot. Please report back on how utterly sublime it is

A marinade can consist of anything you want it to be. Dried marinades in packets are gaining momentum and aren't the convention you mentioned!

Fruit enzymes tenderise meat tissue in a different way than vinegar or other acids, just for your info .

 

yes, duck fat. and when I can get it, I get goose fat.

 

Thanks mowerman. You can come and mow our garden sometime.
Will try this out in summer when we have fruit ....
The sour kefir worked well by the way. But I got another idea in the night: I'll cut it up! Easy when half frozen. And marinate it that way, and then fry it quickly, hot.