Pigeon Breasts with Balsamic Vinegar Sauce

Here is another method of dealing with pigeon breasts, particularly good if you have to cook in advance. The entire pigeon is browned in a sauté pan and then the breasts are boned out. This keeps the breast meat underdone and it can later be finished off in a hot oven in a matter of minutes. A sauce is made with the carcases in the usual way. Balsamic vinegar is the aged aceto balsamico, a speciality of Modena in northern Italy. It is dark and intensely fragrant.