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An example of a sweet-and-sour accord from this Touraine cuisine which uses quality poultry and game birds.
Put the raisins in a large bowl, cover them generously with hot tea and let them soak for 1 hour. Wash the sorrel leaves, pat them dry and chop them. Peel and core the apple, cut it into small dice and lemon them. Combine these ingredients in a bowl and mix. Then add the petit-suisses and mix again, then drain the raisins and incorporate them. Season with salt and pepper.
Stuff the pigeons with this preparation, pressing down well, then sew them up, tie them up and coat them lightly with butter. Season them with salt and pepper, then place them in a roasting pan, on one side. Roast them in the oven at 240°C for 10 minutes. Baste them with 2 tablespoons of boiling water, then turn them over. Continue cooking for 20 minutes.
Turn the pigeons over again, this time putting them on their backs, baste them again with water with lemon juice and finish cooking for about 15 minutes. Drain the pigeons and shred them. Place them on a hot serving platter and cut each in half. Deglaze the baking dish with a little boiling water and serve this juice in a sauceboat.
You can accompany these pigeons with an apple marmalade slightly seasoned with cinnamon or a celery or chestnut puree.
Source:Regional Cuisines of France
