Pigeon Cream Soup

Pigeon Cream Soup recipe

Serves 4

ingredients

2 prepared pigeons weighing 400 g (14 oz) each
1.5 litres(2 1/2 pt) 6 cups water
1 tsp salt
Strip lemon peel
2 small onions
2 leeks
Small piece celeriac
Sprig each parsley, thyme and dill
2 egg yolks
5 tbsp double (thick) cream
1 tbsp fresh dill



method
1. Wash birds well inside and out, put into a large pot with the water, salt and lemon peel and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Skim off scum continuously as it forms.

2. Peel onions, cut in half, and place cut sides down in a dry frying pan to brown.

3. Take the white part of leeks only, wash and cut into fine strips.

4. Peel, rinse and dice celeriac.

5. Rinse herbs and tie together.

6. Add prepared vegetables and herbs to stock and continue to simmer, half-covered, for 30 minutes.

7. By the end of this time the liquid should be reduced by half.

8. Strain the soup. Remove the skin and bones from the pigeons and chop the meat before returning it to the soup.

9. Beat egg yolks with cream, combine with 3 tbsp hot stock and stir into soup.

10. Serve the soup sprinkled with dill.