From Game of Thrones · 2011-2019 · Reconstructed
Ceremonial Pigeon Hand Pies
Serve when
Turn Joffrey's impossible wedding pie into small hand pies people can actually eat.
In the series
Season 4
- S4E2 · ~00:40:00 At the Purple Wedding, Joffrey cuts into an enormous pigeon pie before the feast curdles into accusation and poison
Host Like Westeros
Hand pies are the polite version of feast chaos. They let guests eat while standing, arguing, or reacting to a wedding scene, and they keep the giant-pie idea in the room without turning dinner into engineering.
In the series
The pigeon pie is court spectacle: expensive, performative, and ridiculous. Mini pies make the image edible while keeping the Purple Wedding's excess intact.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 400 F. Cook onion in butter until soft. Add mushrooms and cook until their liquid evaporates.
- Add diced chicken, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook until the chicken is opaque throughout with no pink remaining, 5 to 6 minutes.
- Sprinkle flour over the filling and stir for 1 minute. Add stock and wine, then simmer until thick. Cool the filling.
- Cut puff pastry into squares. Add a spoonful of filling to each square, fold into triangles or rectangles, and crimp the edges.
- Brush with egg, sprinkle with coarse salt, and bake until puffed and golden, 18 to 22 minutes.
Substitutions
- Pigeon: Chicken thighs are the practical substitute. Quail is closer in spirit but expensive and fussy; chicken gives the dark-meat richness without making sourcing a project.
- Puff pastry: Pie dough works, but the pies will be sturdier and less flaky. Biscuit dough makes a rustic tavern version.
- White wine: Use chicken stock with a splash of vinegar. You want brightness, not a wine-forward sauce.
- Mushrooms: Skip them or use diced carrots and celery. Mushrooms add earthy depth that helps chicken stand in for game birds.
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