Pigeon, also known as squab, is indeed a delicacy in the region La Marche. Though it may seem off-putting to some, pigeon provides a delicately flavored dark meat and can be prepared in a manner similar to chicken—cooked with citrus fruit and herbs, stuffed and roasted, or browned and cooked with vegetables in broth. Wild pigeon, or palombaccio is delicious, but leaner and gamey, and therefore more likely to be cooked in broth. Domesticated pigeon, or piccione, is typically referred to as squab. Squab provides no more than a pound of meat, but it is very tender, having been raised in a closed environment. In La Marche, squab or wild pigeon are available in the summer months, though frozen squab is available year-round. Delicious to eat, the pigeon in La Marche is revered for the duel role it serves: its messenger abilities as well as its place on the table.
|
