Banquet-style Crispy Pigeons

This dish stands out vividly in my memory of attending Chinese banquets in Chicago’s Chinatown as a child. Even in those days, pigeon was a rather expensive food and eaten only in restaurants and on special occasions. Murmurs of delight always greeted this dish when it came to the banquet table.

The pigeon was briefly braised, dried and then deep-fried just before serving. And the result was fit for an emperor – who, indeed, was among the very few who could afford the dish in the go