One pigeon is better than nine chickens 🐔 In Guangdong, besides chicken, pigeon is definitely a must-have! After eating so many roasted, braised, and baked pigeons outside… Having been on a diet for so long, my weight is finally stable, so it's time to treat myself! I'm recreating the Three-Cup Sauce Braised Pigeon (also called Black Bean Sauce Pigeon) at home. I didn't use scallions, ginger, or garlic to sauté it for the original flavor. If you prefer, you can add them before frying the pigeon.
Materials
Braised Pigeon with Three-Cup Sauce - Pigeon with Black Bean Sauce - Easy Home Recipe for Classic Cantonese Cuisine - Home Cooking Steps
Cut the pigeon in half and wash it thoroughly (leaving it whole might take longer to braise). Blanch the skin in boiling water for 30 seconds until the skin and meat shrink. Remove and drain. Three-cup sauce: 1 cup light soy sauce + 50ml dark soy sauce (3:2 ratio); 1 cup water or 60ml low-alcohol white wine (Jiujiang Shuangzheng, Shaoxing wine, or rose wine); 1 cup rock sugar or 15g caramelized sugar (caramelized sugar is more fragrant; see the instructions for making caramelized sugar).
Heat a pan with plenty of oil over high heat. Pan-fry the pigeon on both sides until golden brown. This step effectively removes any gamey smell, renders out the fat, and improves the skin's texture. (If you prefer the flavor of shallots, ginger, and garlic, you can sauté large chunks of shallots, ginger, and garlic together first.)
Add the first cup: mix light soy sauce and dark soy sauce, stir-fry until evenly colored.
Add the second cup: water or white wine. If you don't like too much alcohol, add a small amount and mix with water. If using a whole pigeon, add another 50ml of water. Add the third cup: rock sugar, slab sugar, or caramelized sugar syrup.
Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn the pot over every 5 minutes to ensure even browning and prevent burning.
When chopsticks can easily pierce the thickest part of the meat, it's cooked through. Keep stirring, reduce the sauce over high heat, then turn off the heat and it's done. ✅
After slightly cooling, cut into small pieces and arrange on a plate. Pour the remaining sauce over the pigeon. The three-cup sauce braised pigeon is now complete! ✅ The sauce is rich and flavorful, and every bite is bursting with juice 😋 Smooth skin, tender meat, and crispy bones!
