Name: Wood Pigeon with Spätzle, Chestnuts and Pomegranate
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: France
Ingredients: 110 g butter; 2 medium carrots, peeled, diced and cooked; 1 tablespoon chopped parsley; Seeds from 1 pomegranate; 4 wood pigeons, wishbones removed; Good Splash of olive oil; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; Sprig of thyme; 30 g warm melted butter; 2 whole eggs plus 1 extra egg yolk; 2 shallots, finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves, crushed; 60 g cooked chestnuts; 120 ml full-fat milk; freshly grated nutmeg; 250 g plain flour, sifted

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Complex

Appears in

Today's special

By Anthony Demetre

Published 2008

About

Spätzle or spaetzle, meaning ‘little sparrows’, consists of tiny noodles or dumplings, and is a common accompaniment in Germany and Alsace, especially for dishes with lots of gravy. The basic dough can be rolled and cut like pasta or gnocchi, but is more commonly forced through a colander as here. There are purpose-made devices that work like potato ricers, but this method gives results that are just as good.