The first time I tasted wood pigeon salmi, what struck me wasn't the meat (which was already very good), but the sauce. A dark, glossy red wine sauce with that powerful yet velvety quality you can't achieve by "fudged it": there's a real logic behind it. You roast first, collect the juices, deglaze, reduce, and then thicken with liver. And that's when everything falls into place!
In my version, I stick to the fundamentals of traditional salmi: roasted wood pigeon, then carved and finished in the sauce. I maintain the hunting theme with a touch of juniper and a hint of cocoa (a classic in some families) to soften the bitterness of the wine without it tasting like chocolate.
And to match the season, I add mushrooms and chestnuts: it brings a melt-in-your-mouth texture and an undergrowth feel that goes naturally with wood pigeon.
Technically speaking, the key is reduction: you let the wine and brown stock release some of their liquid to concentrate the flavor. The second point is thickening the sauce with the liver, off the heat, to prevent it from curdling. If you follow these steps, you'll have a rich, thick, and frankly irresistible sauce.
Serve it simply: steamed potatoes, homemade mashed potatoes, or even country bread for dipping (that's often what disappears first).
Wood pigeon salmi
4
people22
minutes33
minutes456
kcal55
minutesMy recipe for roasted wood pigeon salmi , then simmered in a red wine sauce thickened with liver and well-seasoned with pepper. A classic game dish, rich and flavorful, ready in under an hour.
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Ingredients
2 Wood pigeons (approx. 350 to 450g each), plucked and gutted
30g of butter
1 tablespoon of neutral oil
2 shallots
1 little carrot
1 celery stalk (or a small piece)
2 garlic cloves
200g of button mushrooms or porcini mushrooms if possible (depending on availability)
120g of cooked chestnuts (vacuum-packed or in a jar, drained)
40 cl of red wine (Bordeaux or Madiran type)
25 cl of brown stock (or a strong chicken stock)
1 tablespoon of tomato paste (approx. 20g per tablespoon)
6 lightly crushed juniper berries
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs of thyme
1 small piece of orange peel (optional, but very nice)
1 teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder (approx. 2g per teaspoon, optional)
2 wood pigeon livers (or failing that, poultry liver, approximately 30g each)
1 tablespoon of cognac or armagnac (approx. 15ml per tablespoon)
Fine salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Preparation steps
- Preheat the oven to 220°C. Remove the wood pigeons from the refrigerator and let them sit at room temperature for 10 minutes, then pat them dry with paper towels (this helps them brown). Season the inside and outside with salt and pepper.
- Heat an ovenproof casserole dish with the oil and 15g of butter. Sear the wood pigeons for 3 to 4 minutes, turning them to brown them well. Add thyme and bay leaf, then bake for 8 to 10 minutes (aiming for a pink center).
- Remove the wood pigeons, place them on a plate, and loosely cover them with aluminum foil. Let them rest while you make the sauce. Keep the casserole dish with the juices (do not wash it).
- While the mixture rests, peel and finely chop the shallots. Dice the carrot and celery very finely. Slice the mushrooms. Mince the garlic.
- Return the casserole to medium heat. Add 15g of butter, then sauté the shallots, carrot, and celery for 4 minutes, just until softened. Add the garlic for 30 seconds.
- Add the mushrooms, season lightly with salt and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes: they release their water and then begin to brown.
- Add the tomato paste, mix for 1 minute. Deglaze with cognac/armagnac and let it evaporate for 30 seconds.
- Pour in the red wine, add juniper, (orange peel if you use it) and let it reduce over fairly high heat for 8 to 9 minutes: the liquid should reduce significantly and smell less of alcohol.
- Add the brown stock (or broth) and let it reduce for another 8 to 10 minutes, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Add the chestnuts to warm them through during the last 3 minutes. Taste and season generously with pepper (it's the essence of salmi).
- While the stock is reducing, butcher the wood pigeons: remove the fillets and detach the legs. Keep the carcass. Roughly crush the carcass (with a cleaver or by pressing it down with the bottom of a saucepan): more surface area = more flavor.
- Add the carcass and trimmings to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes to infuse. Then remove the carcass (drain well by pressing with a spoon).
- Blend the livers (pigeon or poultry) with 2 to 3 tablespoons of hot sauce to loosen them. Reduce the heat to low. Off the heat, whisk this mixture into the remaining sauce. Return to very low heat for 30 to 45 seconds, without boiling (otherwise the liver will curdle). If you like, add the cocoa now: it rounds out and darkens the sauce.
- Return the pieces of wood pigeon (fillets and legs) to the sauce for 1 to 2 minutes, just to warm them through and coat them. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Serve immediately, with the sauce generously poured over the top, mushrooms, and chestnuts.
📊 Nutritional Information
1 portion (approx. 360g, with sauce and garnish)
| Nutrient | Value |
|---|---|
| Calories | 456 kcal |
| Proteins | 44g |
| Carbohydrates | 16g |
| including sugars | 6g |
| Lipids | 20g |
| including saturated fatty acids | 8g |
| Fibers | 3 g |
| Sodium | 620mg |
| Vitamins | |
| Vitamin B3 | 78% AJR |
| Vitamin B12 | 160% AJR |
| Vitamin B6 | 42% AJR |
| Minerals | |
| Iron | 38% AJR |
| Phosphorus | 52% AJR |
| Zinc | 34% AJR |
* RDA = Recommended Daily Allowance
📝 Notes
If your wood pigeons are very small, reduce the oven time slightly (they dry out quickly). Conversely, if they are large, follow the same principle: roast them pink, then finish by reheating them in the sauce, not by cooking them for a long time.
💡 Chef's Tips
The salmi is the sauce: let it reduce sufficiently (it should coat the back of a spoon). And for the liver thickening, avoid boiling: keep it on low heat, or even off the heat altogether, otherwise it will curdle.
If the sauce of the wood pigeon salmi becomes too thick, thin it with a small dash of hot brown stock.
🔄 Variations
- Salmi with a slice of toasted bread: rub it with garlic and place it on the plate, the sauce will soak it up (very traditional).
- Recipe without strong alcohol: replace cognac/armagnac with 2 extra tablespoons of red wine, for deglazing.
