Pigeon is a wonderful meat that is served in restaurants and gastropubs across the UK, but although it is loved by chefs, it is often overlooked by home cooks. However, when sourced from a reputable butcher and treated properly, these little birds make for a rich and delicious centrepiece. You’ll be surprised at how easy they are to prepare and cook, too.

You will mainly see two types of pigeon on menus and in butcher’s meat counters: wood pigeon, which is often wild, and squabs which are usually farmed. The young farmed squab has tender flesh with a delicate flavour and is considered to be more versatile than its wild counterparts due to the consistency in quality. However if you prefer a more intense flavour, it’s best to opt for wood pigeon. These birds possess a deep, complex, mineral taste and with careful cooking, can be just as tender as squab.

Game season is traditionally in autumn and wild wood pigeon are usually at their best between October and January, when they are fattened up and flavourful after a summer of feasting on wild fruits and grains. Farmed squab are generally of very high quality in the UK, ensuring their availability year-round. The more relaxed lifestyles and consistent feeding of these farmed birds make their meat tender and plump.

It is usual to allow one bird per person when cooking pigeon, or one or two pigeon breasts per person, depending on what else you are serving alongside and whether it is a starter or a main. 

Plucking pigeon can be a messy affair so it’s best to ask your butcher to take care of this. Look for younger birds that have plump, pink flesh and a supple breastbone, older pigeon which will be darker and have more wrinkly skin. With wild birds look out for shot damage as you prep the meat and only buy from a trusted dealer or butcher. You can usually buy a whole bird, or sometimes breast fillets or legs. Make sure you season your meat really well to get the most flavour out of it when cooked. 

If treated properly, pigeon can be deliciously tender and flavoursome, and it suits various cooking techniques. Young whole birds are perfect for roasting, just season and sear the bird all over in a pan before putting into the oven. Pigeon breast is great grilled or pan-fried, the latter of which allows you to make a tasty pan-sauce once the bird is cooked. Older birds are more suited to braising or adding to stews, as are cuts such as pigeon leg which come on the bone. Or you can brine or confit whole birds to give moist results. Chefs also like to cook pigeon sous vide as this cooks the meat gradually and evenly, locking in all those juices. Aromatics can also be added to the sous vide bag to add flavour, although it’s best not add too many as the flavour will be quite concentrated. Colin McGurran adds thyme to his recipe and serves with beetroot.

Pigeon is a small and delicate bird with very little fat on it, so it can easily become tough if overcooked. It’s therefore best to serve the meat pink if you are using good quality meat and roasting or pan-frying it, but you can also get tender results casseroling pigeon in its own sauce. Check out our collection of pigeon dishes or follow our recipe and pan-fry your pigeon breast fillets to pink perfection.

Cherries and dark berries work particularly well with the gamey flavour of pigeon, as do rich and boozy sauces spiked with brandy, port or cassis. Earthy veg such as celeriac, mushrooms, beetroot and jerusalem artichoke are great matches as in Alex Bond’s recipe. As with larger birds, whole pigeon can be elevated by putting herbs or flavourings in the cavity while it roasts, or using a flavoursome stuffing which cooks inside the bird. Try Nadia Santini’s stunning whole pigeon stuffed with fruited crumbs . The intense flavour of the bird also means it goes brilliantly with equally rich accompaniment such as black pudding, truffle or even cocoa beans as Aurora Mazzucchelli does in her inspired recipe.