Casserole of Wood Pigeon with Wood Blewits

Name: Casserole of Wood Pigeon with Wood Blewits (Piccioni in Casseruola con Lepista)
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 600 g (1 lb 5 oz) fresh wood blewits; 4 wood pigeons, prepared by your butcher; plain flour for coating; 6 tbsp olive oil; 2 smoked pancetta or bacon rashers, cut into strips; 2 smoked pancetta or bacon rashers, cut into strips; 1 onion, finely sliced; 1 carrot, finely sliced; 1 celery stick, finely sliced; 100 ml (3½ fl oz) red wine; 1 tbsp juniper berries; 4 bay leaves; stock or water if necessary; stock or water if necessary; salt and pepper to taste; salt and pepper to taste

Piccioni in Casseruola con Lepista

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Antonio Carluccio Goes Wild

By Antonio Carluccio

Published 2001

About

The wood blewit’s very firm and fragrant flesh makes it one of the most desirable of wild mushrooms. I’ve seen them on sale in markets in the Midlands, but I always get mine, some wonderful examples, from my friend Timothy Neat in Scotland, which are sent by express delivery.

Ingredients

600 g (1 lb 5 oz) fresh wood blewits
4

Europe
Italy
Main course

Method

Clean the blewits, and slice if large. Season the pigeons both inside and out, then dust them with flour. Put them into a hot pan with the oil and pancetta, and fry on both sides until golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Put the chopped vegetables into the same pan and fry until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the wine, salt and pepper and heat to let the alcohol evaporate.