Chef Juliette
Caneton Nantais à la Choucroûte
A whole Nantes duckling, browned and gently braised with Rhine wine, carved over choucroute glazed nearly dry with salt pork, then finished beneath a restrained veil of glossy veal sauce.
Culinary Explorer
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Pigeonneaux en Chartreuse
Created by Chef Juliette
Based on No. 1778, Pigeonneaux en Chartreuse, from Le Guide Culinaire (1907) by Auguste Escoffier
A Charlotte mould lined with dry, butter-braised cabbage holds tender squab halves, salt pork, and sausage, then turns out whole beneath a restrained pool of demi-glace. The lesson is moisture control, not ornament.
Main Dishes
French
Dinner Party
Comfort Food
Special Occasion
50 min
Active Time
1 hr 40 min cook•2 hr 30 min total
Yield4 servings
Pigeonneaux en Chartreuse (squab moulded in braised cabbage) teaches one true thing before all others: structure begins with dryness. The cabbage must be tender enough to fold yet pressed until it gives up every loose drop. Wet cabbage slides, releases liquid in the mould, and turns a proud Chartreuse into a heap. Ça se rattrape before assembly, never after, so drain and press with conviction.
The original entry assumed a saucier on staff, brown stock never off the fire, and a purpose-made Charlotte mould waiting on the shelf. Unlike a glazed roast, it asks nothing of a salamander. At home, good prepared demi-glace, measured stock, and a two-quart ovenproof mould set in a roasting pan give the same intent. The vegetable mosaics and forcemeat supports described in the larger reference were brigade scaffolding, so they go; the dry cabbage casing, the alternating meats, the bain-marie, and the five-minute rest are the dish, so they stay. One cook, one stove, one evening.
Turned out correctly, the Chartreuse stands whole and glossy, its soft green cabbage hiding rose-dark squab, pale salt pork, and roundels of sausage. Cut it at the table and let the demi-glace gather around each wedge. Before you touch a pan, clear a place for draining and pressing the cabbage. That is the step that decides everything.
Pigeonneaux en Chartreuse belongs to the grand Parisian service table, where cooks used Charlotte moulds to turn braised vegetables and game into clean architectural forms. Chartreuse here names the vegetable casing, not the herbal liqueur: the form traveled between elaborate vegetable mosaics and more practical bourgeois versions lined simply with cabbage. Squab, salt pork, and sausage give this version its generous center, while the demi-glace remains outside so the mould keeps its shape.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
Savoy cabbage
Quantity
1 large (about 2 lb 10 oz / 1.2 kg), prepared through Blanchings (No. 273) and arranged by the Charlotte-mould method in Selle de Veau à la Chartreuse (No. 1182)
unsalted butter
Quantity
3 tablespoons (45 ml / 42 g), divided
light brown poultry or veal stock
Quantity
1 cup (240 ml / 240 g)
fine salt
Quantity
1 teaspoon (5 ml / 6 g), divided and used only as needed
freshly ground black pepper
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml / 1 g)
whole dressed squabs
Quantity
2 (about 1 lb / 450 g each; 2 lb / 900 g total), cooked en casserole through Poëlings (No. 250)
rested and split lengthwise
salted breast of pork
Quantity
6 oz / 170 g, prepared through Blanchings (No. 273)
cooled and cut into small rectangles
mild cooked pork sausage
Quantity
8 oz / 225 g
chilled and cut into roundels
demi-glace (half-glaze sauce)
Quantity
1/2 cup (120 ml / 125 g)
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Savoy cabbage | 1 large (about 2 lb 10 oz / 1.2 kg), prepared through Blanchings (No. 273) and arranged by the Charlotte-mould method in Selle de Veau à la Chartreuse (No. 1182) |
| unsalted butter | 3 tablespoons (45 ml / 42 g), divided |
| light brown poultry or veal stock | 1 cup (240 ml / 240 g) |
| fine salt | 1 teaspoon (5 ml / 6 g), divided and used only as needed |
| freshly ground black pepper | 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml / 1 g) |
| whole dressed squabsrested and split lengthwise | 2 (about 1 lb / 450 g each; 2 lb / 900 g total), cooked en casserole through Poëlings (No. 250) |
| salted breast of porkcooled and cut into small rectangles | 6 oz / 170 g, prepared through Blanchings (No. 273) |
| mild cooked pork sausagechilled and cut into roundels | 8 oz / 225 g |
| demi-glace (half-glaze sauce) | 1/2 cup (120 ml / 125 g) |
Equipment Needed
- •2-quart (1.9-liter) Charlotte mould or deep tapered ovenproof bowl
- •Deep roasting pan for the bain-marie
- •Wide lidded sauté pan
- •Clean kitchen towels, flat tray, and two tins for pressing
- •Sturdy poultry shears
- •Instant-read thermometer
Instructions
- 1
Prepare referenced components
Prepare the cabbage and salted breast of pork separately through Blanchings (No. 273), following the linked formula in full for the treatment suited to each. Cool and drain them well, keeping eight to ten of the largest cabbage leaves intact. Cook the squabs en casserole, gently in butter in a covered pot, through Poëlings (No. 250), again using that finished preparation rather than rebuilding it here. Rest the birds for ten minutes so their juices settle.
- 2
Braise and press cabbage
Melt 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 28 g) of the butter in a wide pan. Lay in the cabbage leaves, season very lightly with salt and pepper, and add the stock. Cover and braise at a bare simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once, until the thick ribs bend without splitting. Drain for five minutes, then spread the leaves between clean towels and press them beneath a tray weighted with two tins for ten minutes. Test one by squeezing its edge: no liquid should bead out. If the leaves remain wet, return them to the dry pan over low heat and turn them gently until the surface moisture disappears. Ça se rattrape. Cool before lining the mould.
Tender is not the same as sodden. The leaves must fold around the filling while remaining dry enough to grip one another. - 3
Cut the filling
Split each rested squab lengthwise through the breast and back with sturdy poultry shears, producing four generous halves. Trim away only enough backbone to let each half sit compactly, keeping breast and leg together. Cut the blanched salt pork into rectangles about 1 1/2 by 3/4 inch (4 by 2 cm), and slice the chilled sausage into roundels about 3/8 inch (1 cm) thick. Keep the shapes distinct. The cut face of the Chartreuse should show what is inside.
- 4
Line the mould
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter a 2-quart (1.9-liter) Charlotte mould or deep ovenproof bowl with the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 14 g) butter, then fit a buttered parchment circle into the bottom. Following the Charlotte-mould arrangement from Selle de Veau à la Chartreuse (No. 1182), overlap the largest cabbage leaves across the bottom and up the sides, leaving enough hanging over the rim to close the top. Patch every gap with smaller leaves. Press the lining firmly against the mould so no pocket can collect liquid.
- 5
Pack the center
Set the squab halves inside the cabbage lining, cut sides facing inward, alternating them with the rectangles of salt pork and sausage roundels. Fill the center snugly without crushing the meat. Lay the remaining cabbage over the filling, then fold the overhanging leaves across it to make a complete seal. Press down firmly with your palm. The cabbage must surround the filling on every side, because that continuous casing is what allows the Chartreuse to turn out whole.
- 6
Cook in bain-marie
Cover the mould with buttered parchment and foil, then set it in a deep roasting pan. Pour in very hot water to reach halfway up the mould, making a bain-marie, or hot-water bath. Cook for 30 minutes, keeping the water at a gentle tremble, until the center reaches 165°F (74°C). If the water begins boiling hard, lower the heat and add a small splash of cool water. Ça se rattrape: quiet water keeps the cabbage lining in place, while violent bubbling can loosen it.
- 7
Rest and unmould
Lift the mould from the bain-marie, remove the foil, and let the Chartreuse stand for exactly five minutes. The rest allows the cabbage and filling to settle without growing cold. Place a warm round platter over the mould and invert both together in one confident movement. Lift the mould straight upward. If it sticks, do not pry at the cabbage; wrap the outside briefly in a towel dipped in hot water, wait thirty seconds, and try again.
- 8
Sauce and serve
Warm the demi-glace until glossy and fluid enough to coat the back of a spoon. If it is too tight, loosen it with a spoonful of stock; if thin, reduce it gently until it holds a clean line. Spoon several tablespoons around the base of the Chartreuse, never over the cabbage, and send the remainder in a small sauceboat. Cut into four wedges at the table so each serving receives squab, salt pork, sausage, and cabbage. À table!
Chef Tips
- •A two-quart metal Charlotte mould gives the cleanest sides, but a deep, slightly tapered ovenproof mixing bowl is the honest home equivalent. Avoid a springform tin, which leaks in the bain-marie.
- •Ask for young dressed squab of roughly equal size. Matching birds cook evenly and give four balanced halves; a large pigeon will be firmer and needs longer in Poëlings (No. 250).
- •Press the cabbage harder than feels polite. Wet cabbage is the one failure the finished mould cannot conceal, while properly dried leaves cling together and cut cleanly.
- •Choose a mild, firm pork sausage without aggressive herbs or smoke. It should support the squab and salted pork, not drag the dish toward another regional larder.
- •Prepared demi-glace is sensible here because the old kitchen assumed a stockpot and saucier already at work. Buy one made from real stock, without sweetness, and dilute it only enough to regain a soft gloss.
- •Pour a supple red Burgundy or another light, savory red with gentle tannin. The wine should meet the squab without bullying the cabbage.
Advance Preparation
- •The cabbage can be blanched, braised, pressed, and refrigerated between clean towels one day ahead. Bring it close to room temperature before lining the mould so the butter does not seize against it.
- •The squabs prepared through Poëlings (No. 250) and the salted pork prepared through Blanchings (No. 273) may be cooked earlier the same day, cooled promptly, and refrigerated separately.
- •The filled Chartreuse can be assembled up to four hours ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Cook it directly from the cold for 40 to 45 minutes instead of 30, checking that the center reaches 165°F (74°C).
- •The demi-glace may be prepared several days ahead or frozen in measured portions. Warm it only while the unmoulded Chartreuse rests.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 520g)
Calories
915 calories
Total Fat
72 g
Saturated Fat
26 g
Trans Fat
1 g
Unsaturated Fat
41 g
Cholesterol
230 mg
Sodium
1800 mg
Total Carbohydrates
17 g
Dietary Fiber
7 g
Sugars
6 g
Protein
50 g
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