Fun Fact: Flying Rats are Delicious!

Quick! Name your favorite meat!

Let me guess. It’s chicken, isn’t it? Or beef, perhaps? Or maybe you’re from the southern US like I am and discovered the Thanksgiving magic of a Bojangles Cajun-fried turkey. Whatever you answered, I hate to tell you this. You probably never ate a pigeon, so you can’t even begin to fathom how delightfully delicious those flying poop factories actually are.

I know what you’re probably saying right now. “Pigeons? She’s joking, right?! Who in their right mind would eat a pest like that and LIKE it?” First off; I am being perfectly honest with you. It IS that good. And two; my mind may be debatable at times, but not about roast pigeon. It’s a magical dish and I miss being able to eat these flying shit rats so badly that I wish someone would tell me who their “meat guy” is so I could cook them at home—and I hate to cook!

But enough of my rambling. Let’s get down to the recipe.

The version of pigeon I tried is Hong Kong fried squab (a squab is a young domesticated pigeon, not to mention your new vocabulary word of the day), or Zha Bok Gop, and costs roughly $3 USD per person over there. It’s four times that at restaurants in the US, assuming you can find it at all, but I digress. It’s a culinary masterpiece and you should try it at least once in your life. It’s so damn tasty that I’m still dreaming about eating it three years later!

Step 1: Clean Your Trash Bird

Squab in the US is almost always frozen and comes whole. Not only will you have to clean the bird, but you’ll need to cut it open and remove its organs. It’s going to stink and you’ll probably gag, but I promise. It’s worth it. Just pinch your nose and hang in there!

Step 2: Make Your Sauce

Pull out a medium sized pot and add the following: granulated sugar, soy sauce, water, scallions, minced garlic, ginger slices, and a Chinese spice packet (which can be found at some Asian grocery stores). Once all ingredients are added, bring the concoction to a boil and let simmer for 15 to 16 minutes.

Step 3: Give That Birdy a Bath!

You are now ready to add your dead bird. Toss it in the pot and make sure the whole carcass is submerged, as you want the sauce to cook and marinate on the inside too. Reduce the heat as much as you can without turning your stove off and let the pigeon sit for half an hour.

Step 4: Give That Birdy Another Bath!

Once the squab is done cooking, soak the carcass in cold water and rub away any blemishes it may have gotten in the braising process. Leave them in the water to cool.

Step 5: Make Another Sauce!

This second sauce consists of Maltose, Chinese red vinegar, Shaoxing wine, and water. Keep mixing until the maltose is fully dissolved and you’ve got a lovely red color, then roll your pigeon in it. Once it’s thoroughly coated, let the meat sit for 2 hours.

Step 6: Fry That Bad Boy!

Get out a small round bottomed wok and heat 6 cups of canola oil to 350 degrees F. Once the oil is to temperature, put the bird breast down on a Chinese spider strainer and gently lower it into the oil. As it fries, keep pouring oil over the other places to ensure everything gets cooked evenly.

The bird will be ready when the skin is a crisp and delicious Coca Cola brown. Chop the head off, put it on top of the rest of the bird, and use kitchen shears to cut the carcass into four equal parts.

Step 7: Serve!

This dish is typically served with lemon wedges, five spice powder, and shrimp chips; but I’m a carnivore and mostly here for the meat. You can find recipes for the shrimp chips (Ha Peen) online. Squeeze a little lemon over the bird and enjoy!

Step 8: Eat the Bird, Join the Cult, and Write a Column!

Guilty as charged!

In all seriousness, I love Hong Kong so much. In 2018, I saved all of my vacation time so my sister and I could spend two weeks there during the Thanksgiving season and it was the best vacation of my life.

We explored the boat town of Tai O, where I ate the best fish and chips of my life. Another day, we explored the different outdoor markets and bar crawled in Lan Kwai Fong. We also explored the campus of my sister’s Alma Mater, saw the ten thousand golden Buddhas, rode the trolley up to Victoria Peak, and even did a day trip to Macau.

While there, B. insisted I try Zha Bok Gop at least once. I have a thing about not liking my food to stare back at me as I eat it, and B. told me before that some of her former classmates played “pigeon head theater” with the heads and chopsticks, so I wasn’t sure I’d like it. Not only did I end up falling in love with it, but I ordered it at least two more times before we left!

I’m happy that I got to visit Hong Kong before the world started falling apart. Just a few months later, the whole city changed and each new thing I read about in the news breaks my heart even more. It’s a beautiful city with a rich history, spectacular food, amazing people, and an incredible culture like no other. I doubt I’ll ever get to visit again—and even if I do, I know it won’t be the same—but if I ever find a restaurant here that serves Zha Bok Gop, I am going to weep for joy, eat my trash bird, and relive those happy times all over again.

UPDATE

I wrote this during a break at work and sent this to B. Not only did she have a good laugh over it, but she found a site online that sells fresh squab! This is dangerous knowledge, but knowledge I needed. I love you, B.! You’re the best sister ever!