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Sekai Gohan
Pichón de Cliza: Bolivian Young Pigeon Boiled Then Grilled Over Charcoal
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Young pigeons, cleaned and plucked (pichón) | 3 | The main dish, boiled and then grilled whole |
| Salt (sal) | 1 tbsp, or to taste | For the boiling water and for seasoning |
| Ground black pepper (pimienta negra molida) | 1 tsp | Seasons the birds after boiling |
| Water | as needed | Enough to cover the birds in the pot |
| Oil (aceite) | a little | Brushed on the skin over charcoal for colour |
| Oil or lard (aceite o manteca) | 1 cup (240 ml) | Only if you pan-fry instead of grilling |
| Beets (betarraga) | 6 | The base of the salad, sweet and deep red |
| Onion (cebolla) | 1 | Very finely minced, for the salad |
| Tomatoes (tomate) | 2 | Cut in small dice, for the salad |
| Cooked fideo (fideo, p'huti) | 1 cup (240 ml) | The noodle side |
| Peanuts (maní) | to taste | Mixed into the fideo |
| Eggs (huevo) | as needed | In place of peanuts in the fideo |
| Potatoes (papa) | as needed | Fried, as a side |
| Oil for frying the potatoes | as needed | For the fried potatoes |
Steps
1Singe off the last of the down
Thaw the birds if frozen and check the skin for fine down left after plucking. Hold one bird with tongs just above a gas flame and pass it slowly through the heat, turning it so only the surface hairs catch. Keep it moving; the aim is to burn off the down, not to cook or brown the skin. Repeat with the other two birds, then wash your hands and the tongs. The skin should feel smooth under your fingertips and still look pale.
2Boil the birds in salted water until tender
Put the three birds in a pot, cover them with water and add part of the salt. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat so the water barely moves, with small bubbles rising around the birds. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, until the meat is tender.
3Drain, pepper and check the center
Lift the birds out with tongs and set them on a wire rack over a tray. Let the water run off until the skin looks dry and matte. Season all over with the black pepper and a little more salt if the water was lightly salted. Push a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and confirm the center has reached the temperature in the warning above before you move to the grill.
A dry skin browns, a wet one steamsGive the birds the full drain on the rack. Water left on the skin steams on the coals and the colour comes slowly and unevenly; dry skin turns gold in the time it takes to warm the meat through.
4Grill over charcoal until golden on both sides
Set the grill outdoors in open air and wait until the coals glow with no flames. Brush the skin with a little oil, which helps the colour come fast and even. Lay the birds on the rack, then turn them once the underside is gold and grill the other side the same way. Move any bird that darkens too quickly toward the cooler edge. They are ready when both sides are golden brown with a few light char spots and the fat sizzles on the skin.
For the pan-fried version, heat the 1 cup (240 ml) of oil or lard in a heavy skillet until it shimmers, fry the birds until golden on both sides, and drain them on the rack.
Fire and hot oilLight charcoal only outdoors, in open air, never indoors or in a closed space. If you pan-fry, lower the birds into the hot oil with tongs, away from you, and keep the pan's handle turned in from the edge of the stove.
5Set out the three sides
Mince the onion very finely, cut the tomatoes into small dice and chop the cooked beets to match. Mix them in a bowl with a little salt; the salad should look ruby-red and glossy. Toss the cooked fideo with the peanuts, or with egg, so the noodles are evenly flecked. Fry the potatoes in oil until golden and crisp at the edges, drain them, and put each side on its own plate.
6Plate the birds while they are hot
Arrange the potatoes, salad and fideo on each plate first. Take the birds straight from the grill with tongs and set them on the plates. Serve at once, while the skin is still hot and glossy and the fat is still bubbling on the surface. The meat should pull away from the bone easily at the table.