Eat the pigeon.

Whenever I recommend pigeon to people, a lot of the time I get looked at like I’m Ozzy Osbourne biting the head off that bat. From my side, I don’t get it. You’ve rationalized eating cows and chickens, what’s so bad about a young squab? Do you actively practice animal discrimination? I’m trolling.

Alas, I can understand. Some people can’t hack the “gamey” taste, others just mentally fear the unknown. But, for me, pigeon, more specifically squab, is one of life’s great culinary delicacies. What’s interesting about pigeon, is despite being classed as poultry, it’s actually red meat and should be served somewhat rare for maximum enjoyment. Grain-fed, they generally harbor fewer pathogens than say, chicken or pheasant, so there’s a wider berth for cooking them medium to rare.

Squab are most tender at around the age of 2-4 weeks generally speaking, before they can fly the nest. They are domesticated and farmed, but they don’t fare well being factory-farmed at a commercial level. Typically, this is because they can’t be artificially inseminated and need both male and female breeders to co-parent them. By economic scarcity measures, this adds to the allure of squab as a delicacy, but it also adds to the price tag as well. I may be stating the obvious, but I’d generally recommend eating pigeon from a reputable supplier, and not the pigeons that congregate on Lennox St. in the North Richmond housing commission precinct.

My personal preference for the top-tier best pigeon in Australia is by Masterchef Ken at Royal Pavilion in Haymarket, Sydney. The Royal Group, now with Royal Palace at the former Golden Century site, are masters of the Cantonese-style pigeon. However, as always, they cook Cantonese classics with a subtle nuance unique to them. The squab has been an if-you-know-you-know dish there for a few years.

“Zha Ge Zi”, or “Zha Ru Ge”, is traditionally young pigeon braised in soy sauce, rice wine and star anise or sometimes five-spice powder, then roasted until the skin is crispy and the meat is tender. I’ve heard Shaoxing wine is sometimes a secret addition. I also love how it’s served with the legs and the head. One of my favourite dining rituals in Sydney is to enjoy the Royal Group’s squab in tandem with a crisp white wine, maybe a good Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre, or flinty Chardonnay from Chablis. Trot out a chilled Montrachet if you really want a next-level experience. French white and Cantonese food is truly a cross-continental match made in heaven. Potentially the greatest interracial marriage in the culinary world. For the record, I highly recommend the fried quail at Royal Palace also; another crispy affair, and brilliant white wine snack.

Speaking of crossing continents, there’s another monumental pigeon dish in Paris, more specifically at Chez Dumonet, a classic bistro in the 6th arrondissement, not far from Le Bon Marche. The dish is called a “Millefeuille of Pigeon” but is far from a vanilla slice. Coming off the back of a typical bistro-style pickled herring starter, this squab dish hit me for six. Tender medium-rare squab meat sliced and served between galette layers of crispy thin potato, hence the millefeuille reference. This dish is like a Jenga tower of brilliance. The legs are served on the side, with a rich brown sauce to tie it all in. What’s cool about this old-world bistro also is that you can pair some Grand Cru wines by the glass should you so desire.

There’s a few more pigeon dishes on my bucket list, notably “Hamam Mahshi”, an Egyptian style squab dish, often served with bulgar wheat or barley. I actually asked my Egyptian friend Emma about it. She said this is a family dinner-party type of rice-stuffed squab dish that Egyptians often serve when they want to seem boujee. It’s always interesting to note how different cultures have different approaches to the same ingredient. I’ve had my fair share of pastry coffins, but I’m yet to try a British-style pigeon pie. Another bucket list meal.

Anyway, you’re probably getting the picture by now that this is not a “10 cute matcha treats to try in Sydney” type of Tik-Tok blog. That’s ok. For all my great dining companions in dinners past and to those awaiting dinners to come, I salute you. Cheers.