Pigeon Breast with Blackberry Sauce

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Pigeon breast with blackberry sauce is such a great meal for date night, a celebration or for entertaining friends.

It may sound complicated, but it's really easy to do. In fact, make the sauce in advance and the pigeon is ready in less than 10 minutes.

The sauce is silky, with the tartness of blackberries, which make the perfect partner for succulent, pan seared pigeon.

Best of all, this sauce goes with so many other dishes too!

Bon appétit!

About this recipe

I love all the game birds and pigeon is particularly sweet and succulent. I buy my game online from Wild and Game. They have a great selection of venison and game birds that arrive fully prepared and frozen. It's perfect if you are a foodie like me!

Anyway, what is so great about pigeon breasts? It's a really delicious meat that stays juicy when quickly pan fried, so there are no complicated roasting instructions. It's tender and has a delicate taste, which isn't as strong as duck, so it's a great introduction to game.

Ingredients

Pigeon breasts are small so allow around 2 per person, but you may prefer 3! Mine are skinless and boneless, so very lean.

As blackberries are not always in season or available I've used frozen ones. They are much cheaper, there's no wastage and they don't take long to thaw either. In fact, I pretty much made the sauce with blackberries that had only been thawing for 10 minutes. Of course, you can use fresh ones too.

For the blackberry sauce you will need sugar, chicken stock and red wine vinegar.

Instructions

Set aside 70g of the blackberries to leave whole in the sauce before serving. Put the remaining blackberries in a saucepan with the sugar and vinegar over a medium heat for a few minutes.

Mash the blackberries with the back of a wooden spoon when they are soft. Add the stock and reduce the mixture, by simmering for a few minutes.

Now carefully pass the sauce through a sieve and return to the saucepan.

Check the seasoning and thickness of the sauce. I prefer sauces to be able to coat the meat, so I've added cornflour mixed with water.

Add the whole blackberries and set aside while you cook the pigeon breasts.

Pat the pigeon breasts dry on kitchen paper and season with salt and pepper. It's important that they are not too wet or they won't quickly get a nice colour when they are pan fried.

Add the butter and oil to a large frying pan, over a medium to high heat, then add the pigeon breasts. Make sure that you have plenty of space in the pan.

Fry for two to three minutes each side to serve them medium. Gently heat through the blackberry sauce while the pigeon rests in a warm place.

I like to serve the sauce in a pot on the side, with just a little poured over the meat. This sauce is not overly sweet but has a great richness that compliments the meat.

Delicious!

FAQs

Tips

• This dish is so simple to cook so only make what you will need. Pigeon should really be cooked pink, so trying to reheat it would make it tough and dry.
• Make the sauce in advance and reheat just before serving, adding in the whole blackberries.
• Swap the red wine vinegar for apple cider vinegar if you prefer.
• For an even richer sauce, swirl through some butter and a tablespoon of redcurrant jelly when you reheat the sauce.
• If you are entertaining make the sauce the day before but don't add the whole blackberries until you are warming it to serve.
• In the UK pigeon is likely to have remnants of lead shot so be careful and watch your teeth!
• If you like making your own sauces why not try making an easy Teriyaki sauce - perfect for stir fries?

So here's my simple way of preparing pigeon. Perfect for entertaining or a special evening at home and absolutely delicious!

More duck and game recipes

• Crispy Duck Breast with Five Spice and Honey
• Duck Confit with Redcurrant sauce
• Massaman Curry with Duck
• Guinea Fowl with Chestnuts and Bacon

📋 Recipe

Pigeon Breast with Blackberry Sauce

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Amanda

Simple pan fried pigeon breast with a delicious blackberry sauce to serve. Perfect for entertaining or date night!

4.91 from 10 votes

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 8 minutes mins

Total Time 13 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine British, French

Servings 4

Calories 303 kcal

Equipment

• small saucepan
• sieve
• frying pan

Ingredients

 

MetricUS Customary

 

1x2x3x

• 8 pigeon breast boneless and skinless
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon oil
• seasoning to taste
• 200 g blackberries fresh or frozen
• 50 g sugar
• 100 ml chicken stock
• 50 ml red wine vinegar

Instructions

 

• Set aside 70g of the blackberries to leave whole in the sauce before serving. Put the remaining blackberries in a saucepan with the sugar and vinegar over a medium heat for a few minutes.
• Mash the blackberries with the back of a wooden spoon when they are soft. Add the stock and reduce the mixture, by simmering for a few minutes.
• Now carefully pass the sauce through a sieve and return to the saucepan.
• Check the seasoning and thickness of the sauce. Use a tablespoon of cornflour mixed with water to stir through to thicken if you prefer a thicker sauce.
• Add the whole blackberries and set aside while you cook the pigeon breasts.
• Pat the pigeon breasts dry on kitchen paper and season with salt and pepper.
• Add the butter and oil to a pan over a medium to high heat then add the pigeon breasts.
• Fry for two to three minutes each side to serve them medium. Gently heat through the blackberry sauce while the pigeon rests.
• Serve the sauce in pots, with a little poured over the meat.

Nutrition Facts

Pigeon Breast with Blackberry Sauce

Amount Per Serving

Calories 303 Calories from Fat 99

% Daily Value*

Fat 11g17%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Trans Fat 1g

Cholesterol 8mg3%

Sodium 62mg3%

Potassium 113mg3%

Carbohydrates 18g6%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 15g17%

Protein 33g66%

Vitamin A 195IU4%

Vitamin C 11mg13%

Calcium 17mg2%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notes

Tips:

• This dish is so simple to cook so only make what you will need. Pigeon should really be cooked pink, so trying to reheat it would make it tough and dry.
• Make the sauce in advance and reheat just before serving, adding in the whole blackberries.
• Swap the red wine vinegar for apple cider vinegar if you prefer.
• For an even richer sauce, swirl through some butter and a tablespoon of redcurrant jelly when you reheat the sauce.
• If you are entertaining make the sauce the day before but don't add the whole blackberries until you are warming it to serve.

Disclaimer:

The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.

Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.

Detailed instructions for this recipe, including step by step photographs, hints and tips, can be found in the main article.

Keyword blackberry sauce, game, pigeon breast

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Food safety

We sometimes take for a granted that we have years (or decades) of cooking experience, that the average visitor may not. Add to, or remove from, the list below with health and safety tips.

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove