Braised Pigeons in Chocolate Sauce

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 4 pigeons weighing 500 g (18 oz) each
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 pinches freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 4 tbsp dry white wine
• 1 cup (8 fl oz / 250 ml) chicken stock
• 200 g (7 oz) shallots
• 50 g (2 oz) plain/dark) chocolate

Method

1. Peel and finely chop the garlic.
2. Wash pigeons inside and out, then dry and rub with salt and pepper, inside and out.
3. Heat oil in large, heavy bottomed pan and brown pigeons all over before removing from pan.
4. Fry garlic in remaining oil. Stir flour into oil, fry briefly, then add wine and chicken stock.
5. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
6. Put pigeons into sauce, cover and cook for 50 minutes on a low heat.
7. Peel shallots, chop finely and add to pigeons after 30 minutes.
8. Pre-heat oven to 120°c (225°f) gas mark 1/4
9. Arrange cooked pigeons on a serving dish and keep hot in oven. Skim fat off sauce.
10. Grate chocolate and add to sauce, stirring continuously over a low heat until melted. Do not let the sauce boil again.
11. Season generously with salt and pepper and serve with pigeons.