Wood Pigeon Salmis

Pluck and gut the pigeons (or get the vendor to do it).
Remove the keel of each one.

Prepare the cooking sauce:
Peel and chop the shallots.
Peel, rinse and chop the carrots.
Crush the pepper.
Peel the garlic, degerm it, and crush it.
Cut the bacon into lardons.

In a cocotte with a little hot butter, brown a bit carrots, pepper and bacon.
Then add the garlic and chopped shallots.
Add the flour and mix well.
Cook for 1 to 2 minutes while stirring, then add the white wine.
Boil, then simmer with a lid for about 2 hours.

Meanwhile, carefully remove all shot pellets from the birds.

After 1 hour 45 minutes:
Salt the pigeons, grind a bit of pepper on them, and in a frying pan with the remaining hot butter sear them over high heat.
When they are nicely browned on all sides, discard the cooking butter.
Stop the eventual hood and flambé with Armagnac.
Cover and let stand out of the fire.

Then drain the sauce of vegetables through the fine strainer and squeeze well (to get all the juice). Otherwise mix the sauce in a blender.
Season to taste (salt / pepper).
Add this sauce to the pan with the pigeon, and cook again over a low heat for 1 hour.

Once ready, present the dish to the guests.

Best then is to go back to the kitchen and cut thighs and Supremes and bring them back on warm plates.
This will facilitate the meal. (Otherwise plan large towels and finger washers).

A "salmis" is a ragoût (a meat cooked in a sauce) but only from game meat (pigeon, wild duck, partridge…).
In French the wood pigeon is called "Palombe" (not to be confused with the common pigeon of our cities, the Rock dove).