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Hamam mahshi (stuffed pigeon)
Hamam mahshi: young pigeons stuffed with spiced freekeh, simmered in broth and roasted until crisp
Pigeon towers still rise above villages in the Nile Delta, and stuffed pigeon is a celebration dish there and in Cairo's famous pigeon restaurants; it is traditionally served to newlyweds and at feasts. Each small bird is filled with freekeh (smoky green wheat) cooked with onion, giblets and warm spices, then simmered in a cardamom broth until tender and finished in a hot oven or fried so the skin turns deep brown and crackling. The meat is dark and rich, closer to duck than chicken, and the freekeh soaks up all the juices. Serve one bird each with a salad, pickles and the broth as soup. Use farmed squab from a poultry supplier. Chef's tip: stuff the birds loosely and sew or skewer them shut; freekeh swells as it cooks and an overfilled pigeon bursts.
- Total time
- 125 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the stuffing
- 7 oz cracked freekehrinsed; or Egyptian short-grain rice
- 3 tbsp vegetable oildivided
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 4 pigeon livers and hearts (optional)from the birds, finely chopped
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 2 ½ tsp saltdivided
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 ¼ cups hot water
For the pigeons
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/9 doneStep 2: Heat 1 tablespoon of 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and fry 1 onion for 5 minutes. Add 4 pigeon livers and hearts and cook for 3 minutes until no pink remains.
8 minStep 3: Stir in 7 oz cracked freekeh, ½ tsp ground allspice, ¼ tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp of 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp ground black pepper, add 1 ¼ cups hot water and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes until the water is absorbed; the freekeh should be only half-cooked. Spread on a plate and let it cool completely before stuffing.
15 minStep 4: Fill each pigeon loosely with the cooled freekeh, no more than three-quarters full. Sew the opening shut with kitchen string or close it with a cocktail stick. Stuff them just before cooking, never hours ahead.
Step 5: Put the birds in a pot that fits them snugly with 1 onion, 5 green cardamom pods, 2 bay leaves, 2 mastic and the rest of 1 ½ tsp salt, and add cold water to just cover. Bring to the boil and skim.
10 minStep 6: Simmer gently, covered, for 30–35 minutes, until the legs feel loose when you wiggle them. Don't let it boil hard or the skin will tear.
33 minStep 7: Heat the oven to 450°F (400°F fan). Lift the birds out carefully, drain and pat dry, then brush with the rest of 2 tbsp vegetable oil. Strain the broth and keep it for serving as soup.
Step 8: Roast on a rack for 15–20 minutes, until the skin is deep brown and crisp. Check with a thermometer: the thickest part of the thigh and the centre of the stuffing must both reach 165°F.
18 minStep 9: Rest for 5 minutes, remove the string and serve each bird whole with a cup of the hot broth.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 640 kcal
- Protein
- 46 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 34 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does hamam mahshi (stuffed pigeon) take?
- About 125 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 85 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of ground cinnamon?
- A cinnamon stick, ground: about ½ tsp per stick.
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