Sufra Dayma:

Baked Rice with Pigeons

By Moushira Abdel-Malek

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Ingredients:

4 whole pigeons (washed and seasoned)

2 cups ordinary rice (washed)

1 cup pigeon stock

1 chicken cube

4 cups whole milk

2 tbsp. fresh cream "eshta"

1 onion whole

1 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. oil

salt + pepper + 2 pods cardamom

Method:

Season pigeons with salt and pepper and allow to drain in a strainer. In a large cooking pan, filled with water, add the onion and bring to boil. Add pigeons, trussed; thighs crossed and pushed through bottom hole, and wings trussed to back. Bring to boil, removing froth occasionally, until no more froth collects on top. Add cardamom, a pinch of salt and pepper. Cover and simmer over medium heat, until pigeons are medium-well cooked. Remove from stock and place in a 5-6 litre oven-proof deep casserole dish. Dissolve cube in one cup of pigeon stock while still hot. Add the milk and bring to boil in a saucepan. Season to taste. Add rice over pigeons, then pour over liquid mixture. Add butter and oil and stir to dissolve in hot liquid mixture. Add cream. Bake in a preheated medium oven until top is goldened. Serve hot with a green salad.