What is pigeon spice mix?
Pigeon spice mix is an Egyptian blend created for cooking squab, the dish that represents the height of hospitality on the Egyptian table since the pharaohs, who raised pigeons in the mud-brick towers that still decorate the villages of the Delta and Upper Egypt. Freekeh-stuffed pigeon is the most famous dish, followed by rice-stuffed pigeon, grilled pigeon, boiled-then-fried pigeon and pigeon tagine with onions. Pigeon is cooked less in the Levant, but appears on Aleppo tables stuffed with rice and pine nuts, and in Iraq and the Gulf it is grilled and served as a special dish. Pigeon meat is rich, dark and strongly flavoured, so the blend is designed to balance it, soften the gamey note and bring out the sweetness of the meat.
Composition and the role of each ingredient
The pigeon blend takes Egyptian seven spices as its base, namely coriander, cumin, black pepper, allspice, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, but in different proportions: cardamom and mastic are raised because they cut the gamey aroma and give the broth its distinctive fragrance, cinnamon and allspice are more pronounced to suit the freekeh, and dried ginger adds warmth. Bay leaf and dried onion are included for the boiling broth, and some recipes add turmeric for a golden colour when frying. Salt is usually left out because the stuffing and broth are salted separately. The same blend suits quail, duck and all dark-meat birds.
| Variant | Character | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Classic pigeon blend | Cardamom, mastic and seven spices; warm and aromatic | Freekeh- or rice-stuffed pigeon, boiled-then-fried pigeon |
| Same blend with loomi and chilli | Hotter and more acidic | Charcoal-grilled pigeon, Gulf-style pigeon |
| Same blend with extra cinnamon and pine nuts in the stuffing | Aleppo character, sweeter | Rice-stuffed pigeon the Levantine way |
How to recognise a good blend
A good blend has a clear aroma of cardamom and mastic with a note of cinnamon and allspice, and an even light-brown colour. Genuine mastic is expensive and some sellers adulterate it with gum arabic or cheap resin, so buy from a trusted source that lists the ingredients on the label in descending order of weight as the Egyptian Standard for spice mixtures requires. The blend should be ground from fresh whole spices to a fine, uniform grind, free of flour, starch, excess salt and artificial colours, with moisture below 10 percent. The cardamom should come from whole green pods rather than the husks that are ground to cut cost, and typically contains at least 3 percent volatile oil.
How to use it
- Wash and clean four pigeons thoroughly and rub them inside and out with lemon and salt.
- Parboil a cup of freekeh with chopped onion, ghee, a teaspoon of pigeon spice mix and salt.
- Stuff each pigeon three-quarters full with the freekeh and sew it or close it with a toothpick.
- Boil the pigeons in water with an onion, a bay leaf, cardamom pods and a tablespoon of pigeon spice mix (about 10 g per kilo of pigeon) for 40 minutes.
- Lift the pigeons from the broth and fry them in hot ghee or oil until golden, then serve with the broth and rice.
Other uses: seasoning quail and duck before grilling, flavouring freekeh soup with meat, and adding to a baked pigeon and onion tagine.
Storage and shelf life
Keep the blend in an airtight container in a cool, dark place, as cardamom and mastic lose their aroma quickly when exposed to air. The blend stays at its best for 9 to 12 months from grinding, and small packs are recommended since pigeon is an occasion dish rather than an everyday one.
The Sheikh Al-Attareen range
- Pigeon Spice Mix
We grind our pigeon blend in our Mansoura factory from whole Guatemalan cardamom, genuine mastic and Upper Egyptian seven spices, and every batch is laboratory-tested for moisture, volatile oil, extraneous matter and microbial contamination before packing. The blend is available in our Egyptian stores, our Baghdad, Erbil and Homs branches and through our online shop.
FAQ
Does the blend suit quail and duck?
Yes, it is designed for dark-meat birds and is used in roughly the same quantity.
How do I get rid of the strong pigeon smell?
Rub the pigeons with lemon and salt, leave for 15 minutes and rinse, then use the blend, whose cardamom and mastic cut the smell during boiling.
How much do I use per pair of pigeons?
About a teaspoon in the stuffing and a tablespoon in the boiling broth for each pair.
Does the blend contain salt?
No, the blend is salt-free so you can adjust it in the stuffing and broth.