Egyptian Stuffed Pigeons "Hamam Mahshy"

Welcome to the first post in 2012, I wish you all a happy new year, today's recipe is a delicious popular Egyptian dish, you can't visit Egypt without tasting this yummy dish. Stuffed pigeons or as it's called in Egypt "Hamam Mahsy" is one of the most delicious dishes, it's so easy to make even if it has a different reputation but believe me you just try it oncvec and you will find it very easy to make and you could then make it anytime you want. This dish is served in occasions, feasts, Ramadan Iftar, and also when having family and friends over for lunch, I don't know anyone one tasted that dish and didn't really love it, it can be concidered as main dish by serving it with the stuffing or as side dish by serving it with some grilled meat or chicken or with stuffed gabbage or grape leaves "Mahshy". This dish has two different stuffing, one with "Fereek", "Fireek" or "Freekeh" (which is smoked green wheat that has a special taste, so different from regular wheat), and the other stuffing with rice. My stuffing today is with "Fereek" which I really love, and you can make the same recipe using rice for those who love rice more, or if you don't have "Fereek" available.

Recipe tips:

1- When buying pigeons make sure they are young because the older pigeons takes really long time to cook and the meat doesn't have the same delicious taste.

2- Becareful when you cook the pigeons don't over boil them or the skin will tear apart and the stuffing will come out.

3- You can use the oven to give the pigeons a nice color instead of using butter to fry (for those who don't like much fat).

4- You can add some ground meat, nut, or chicken liver to the stuffing, it's up to you.

5- If you don't have "Fereek" available you can use bulgur instead, or you can use rice in this case add some oil about 3 tbsp to the rice to not get sticky.

6- Don't over stuf the pigeons with forcing stuffing inside and pushing or else it will not cook well and won't allow the broth to enter inside the pigeons to cook, also don't over stuf under the skin or it will tear apart.

7- When frying in butter the heat should be low or the butter will burn, if you want it highier you can use Ghee or clarified butter.

Sereves: 4 people

Prep. Time: 15 minutes.

Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

For Pigeons:

4 pigeons, well cleaned

1 whole medium onion

2 bay leaves

2 cardamoms

1/2 tsp ground ginger

salt and peper to taste

200 gm butter or ghee

For stuffing:

250 gm Fereek

The liver and heart of the pigeons, cut into pieces (optional)

1 big onion, chopped.

salt and pepper to taste.

Directions:

1- Prepare "Fereek' by soaking in water for 2 hours.

2- Strain "Fereek" and place in a pan over medium-high heat with the chopped onion, hearts and livers of the pigeons and some salt & pepper to taste, stir till the mix is hot then add one cup of water and stir till the water is evaporated, add water and stir till "fereek" is nearly cooked, just tender.

3- Cool the stuffing first and then start stuffing the pigeons from the bottom and stuf the nick first but don't over stuf it will just look like this.

4- When finishing stuffing don't close it firmly to allow the broth inside just put a slice of onion like this, and then hold the legs together with cooking string.

5- Once you are done with all pigeons prepare the amount of water that's just enough to cover the pigeons, boil the water in a pot with the onion, bay leaves, cardamom, ginger, salt and pepper (becareful with the salt you added some to the stuffing), when the water starts boiling add the pigeons and let it simmer over medium heat for about 20 to 30 minutes or till cooked without any cuts in the skin (you can chek the skin on the end of the legs with a fork to make sure it's tender enough).

6- When the pigeons are cooked, melt the butter in a suitable pan on medium-low heat and sprinkle some salt over the pigeons, then place it in the pan and place it on all sides from time to time so the skin gains the same color all over it.

7- Cotinue cooking the rest of the stuffing (Fereek) and serve it with pigeons after removing the cooking string, and... Bon Appétit :)