Velouté à la Colombine (Pigeon Velouté)

Ingredients

• 2 young pigeons, plump and in good flesh
• 1.5 liters velouté de volaille (clear chicken velouté)
• 4 grains anise seeds, crushed
• liaison (egg yolk and cream mixture)
• butter (beurre)

Instructions

1. Stiffen the two young pigeons in butter without allowing them to color at all.
2. Add them to 1.5 liters of clear chicken velouté (velouté de volaille) along with 4 crushed grains of anise seed, and finish cooking them gently.
3. Once cooked, bone them immediately. Set aside 3 fillets for garnish. Pound the remaining meat finely and return it to the velouté, then pass through a cloth sieve (étamine).
4. Heat gently; complete at the moment of service with liaison (egg yolk and cream) and butter.
5. Garnish: the reserved fillets cut into fine julienne (thin needle-like strips) and small quenelles (dumplings) made from pigeon forcemeat with cream.