How to Make Vietnamese Pigeon Sticky Rice

Prepare the sticky rice

Rinse the sticky rice thoroughly and soak it in water for 4-5 hours. If you're using a steamer, the longer you soak the rice, the softer it will be. However, if using a rice cooker, soaking for too long may result in mushy rice if you don’t adjust the water levels properly.

After soaking, drain the rice and rinse it again, then let it dry completely.

Prepare the pigeon

After plucking the pigeon, rub it with coarse salt, white wine, and some crushed ginger to clean and remove any gamey smell. Rinse thoroughly.

Next, lightly roast the pigeon in an air fryer to char the skin and release its aroma, similar to the technique used to sear pork skin for traditional Vietnamese braised dishes. Set the air fryer to 200°C and roast for about 8 minutes, flipping the bird halfway through to ensure even charring.

Prepare other ingredients

Peel the shallots and slice them into 0.3mm thick pieces. Slicing the shallots slightly thicker ensures that they will be crispy when fried and not fall apart. Most of these shallots will be used to make fried shallots, with some reserved for marinating and stir-frying the pigeon meat.

Peel the ginger and fresh turmeric, and crush them together with some shallots in a mortar and pestle.

Wash the green onions and chop them finely. These will be used to make scallion oil, which will be drizzled over the pigeon sticky rice to add flavor and richness.

Marinate the pigeon

Once the roasted pigeon has cooled, remove the feet, tail, and head, as these parts can contain grit and give off an unpleasant odor.

Chop the pigeon finely, including the bones, to add texture and flavor.

Marinate the chopped pigeon meat with 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1/3 tablespoon of MSG, 1/2 tablespoon of sugar, 1/2 tablespoon of oyster sauce, 1/3 tablespoon of ground pepper, and half of the crushed ginger, turmeric, and shallots. Mix well and let it sit for 30 minutes to absorb the flavors.

Make fried shallots and scallion oil

While the pigeon meat marinates, make the fried shallots and scallion oil to save time.

Start with the fried shallots. Add oil to a pan, using enough to submerge the shallots completely. For crispy shallots, you’ll need plenty of oil.

Add the sliced shallots to the pan while the oil is still cold, and cook over medium heat. This ensures that the shallots cook evenly and stay crispy longer. Adding them to hot oil can result in the outer layers browning too quickly, while the insides remain uncooked, leading to soggy shallots.

When the shallots start to float, they’re nearly done. Fry until light golden, then remove them and drain on paper towels. Be careful not to over-fry, as they will continue cooking in the residual heat and could darken too much.

Next, remove most of the oil, leaving a small amount in the pan. Heat the oil again, and when hot, quickly stir in the chopped green onions. Once the scallions are coated and vibrant, remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl. This keeps the scallion oil bright green and fresh-looking.

Stir-fry the pigeon meat

Add about 3 tablespoons of the oil used for frying shallots to a pan, heat it up, then sauté the remaining crushed ginger, turmeric, and shallots until fragrant. Add the marinated pigeon meat and stir-fry. Cook the pigeon just until done, as it will be steamed with the sticky rice later. Keeping the meat slightly undercooked ensures it stays moist and tender.

Before turning off the heat, add 1/2 tablespoon of white wine and stir to enhance the aroma of the pigeon meat.

Cook the pigeon sticky rice

After soaking and draining the sticky rice, mix in 1/2 tablespoon of coarse salt to prevent the rice from souring.

For easier steaming, Cookbeo recommends using a steamer bag or a thin muslin cloth. This makes it easier to handle the sticky rice and prevents it from sticking to the steamer. It also makes cleanup easier.

Add water to the steamer, filling it halfway up the pot. Bring the water to a boil before placing the bag of sticky rice inside. This helps ensure the rice cooks evenly, avoiding situations where the bottom is mushy while the top remains undercooked.

Spread the rice evenly in the steamer and poke a few holes to allow the steam to escape. Cover with a cloth, place the lid on the pot, and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle boil.

To achieve the best texture for pigeon sticky rice and other types of sticky rice, it’s recommended to steam the rice twice. Steam it for 30 minutes the first time, then another 15-20 minutes the second time.

After the first 30 minutes, remove the rice from the steamer. Mix in 3 tablespoons of the fried shallot oil, cover the rice, and let it 'rest' for 10 minutes.

Bring the water back to a boil, then place the rice back in the steamer. Spread the rice evenly again, make a few holes for steam to escape, and reduce the heat to low for the second steaming.

During the second steaming, after about 10 minutes, remove the rice and mix in the stir-fried pigeon meat. Then return the rice to the steamer and continue cooking for another 10 minutes until the sticky rice is fully cooked.

Once the pigeon sticky rice is ready, scoop it into a bowl or plate, drizzle with scallion oil, and top with fried shallots. The sticky rice is fragrant and rich, making for a delicious and satisfying meal. You can also add some shredded dried pork or roasted pigeon for extra flavor.