In 2013, Portland Monthly surveyed the city’s foodscape for the city’s next top chefs. Two names rose to the top: Le Pigeon’s modern-riffing line cook Andrew Mace, and Little Bird Bistro’s savory pastry experimenter, Nora Antene. “I love collaborating with Andrew,” said Le Pigeon and Little Bird boss Gabriel Rucker. “He and Nora are going to go places … I just hope they don’t go too soon.”
Am I a baby pigeon, sprouting wings to soar? Was that a metaphor? Hey, there's a Dollar Store. As I'm called through this fog of mace To this place called Slaughter Race Verse: Cast of Ralph. Whole Mace good Quality With Competitive Price, Find Complete Details about Whole Mace good Quality With Competitive Price,Organic Mace,Mace Spice from Single Spices & Herbs Supplier or Manufacturer-G B MACHADO EIRELI. Medieval Pigeon Pie. After ye pidgeons are made fitt to put into your pye season them with grose pepper, salt, mace & nutmeggs then lay ym into your Pot; you must have palatts ready boyld and cut into what bigness you like and lay over your pidgeons with ye yolk of hard egg, e marrow and balls of meat, made of ye lean of a legg of veal. Tastela Spices - We are a leading manufacturer, exporter and supplier of Indian spices. With the experience of 3 Decades in the food industry, we are one of the market leaders in the manufacture and export of spices and seeds all over the globe to our valuable customers.
And just like that, Mace, who worked his way up to chef de cuisine and admirably held down Portland’s most prestigious kitchen, will serve his last Le Pigeon dinner Tuesday, May 10. His mark on the menu was noticeable. “We balance each other out,” said Mace over the phone on Monday. “Gabriel makes the nasty, awesome stuff; what Le Pigeon is known for. My place is with the slightly more refined, more composed, more delicate dishes. That’s what made our partnership amazing.”
Meanwhile, Mace’s partner, Antene, whose jump to Le Pigeon in late 2013 was marked by endless crazy delights (Whoopie Pie with roasted red pepper “Twizzlers,” anyone?) will depart on May 17. As Eat Beat reported, Antene is joining the team behind Tusk, a Middle East restaurant opening on East Burnside this summer.
Meanwhile, Rucker is concluding his year-long focus on Little Bird Bistro, where he rebooted the menu with a new slate of French classics, made “the Rucker way.” Now, the two-time James Beard medalist tells Eat Beat he’ll be cooking at Le Pigeon again three nights a week. Making the jump with him: Little Bird Bistro pastry chef Helen Jo, known for intelligent twists on familiar desserts.
Pigeon Mace Restaurant
What’s next for Mace? Surprisingly, not a plum chef gig. The 31-year-old is casting his net with Garibaldi’s Community Supported Fishery, which aims to help small-boat fisherman sell fresh local fish directly to Portland restaurants. This could be a big boost for Oregon’s poor ocean-to-table track record. Restaurants will subscribe and receive—on the blind—whatever is landing on the docks. According to Mace, that includes fish rarely seen on local menus, such as local squid or bay shrimp, live and head on. The process is similar to cooks who get mystery boxes of farm vegetables via a CSA. “I’m not burned out on food,” says Mace. “My passion for food is greater than just one plate, one customer at a time. A lot of improvements are needed in quality. This is so much more sustainable. I want to contribute to that. Not to say won’t ever get back to cooking.”
A taste of Mace won’t wander too far from Le Pigeon. He’s planning to helm Local Fish, a new food cart at the corner of NE 8th Avenue and Couch Street, just a block from the restaurant. Here, dock-fresh seafood from Community Supported Fishery will be the focus of fast, simple dishes. The company’s Jeff Wong owns the property, according to Mace, and the cart is part of CSF’s beta test. “There’s no real model for restaurant-supported fishing here,” he says.
Mace says Local Fish will open in a few weeks. Already, he’s toying with dishes like salt and pepper shrimp sided by fried rice and mingled with “beautiful Oregon bay shrimp.”
As for Rucker, he planted himself at Little Bird Bistro last May, after longtime chef Eric Van Kley left to open his own restaurant, Taylor Railworks on SE Taylor. Over the past year, Rucker has groomed a new flock. Now, he says, they’re ready to fly on their own, with Marcelle Crooks at the helm, and Erin Hughes (who Rucker calls “one to watch, definitely”) taking over pastry duties. Now, he’s eager to return to the nest. While most big-name chefs have their eyes on expansionist projects, Rucker has always been a homebody. The place he calls “the Dirty Pidge,” will always be his zip code. “What I want to do for the rest of my career,” he says, “is cook at Le Pigeon.” Welcome home.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4.
- Season the crowns, then rub with butter and mace and allow to sit for 30 minutes.
- Heat a frying pan until hot, add the oil and sear the breasts on each side.
- Place in the oven and roast for 12-15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 5 minutes.
- Pour out the excess fat from the roasting pan, then add the shallots and sweat for 2 minutes.
- Add the vinegars, bring to the boil and reduce by half.
- Add the stock and reduce by 1/3.
- Add the butter and season.
- Slice the pigeon off of the bone.
- Strain the sauce into a clean pan, and use half to baste the pigeon.
- Add the parsley and chervil to the rest of sauce
Pigeon Mace Pepper Spray
- Method for potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6.
- Cut the potatoes into 3cm/1¼“ cylinders and slice very thinly.
- Mix with the clarified butter and season with salt and black pepper.
- Heat a 15cm/6” diameter frying pan and lay the potato slices overlapping into the base of the pan.
- Repeat for around 3 layers, then cook until the potato slices are coloured.
- Place in the oven for 10 minutes.
Method for peas
- Heat a pan of water until boiling then add the spring onions and blanch for 1 minute.
- Drain and refresh.
- Heat a frying pan until just warm and add the butter, peas and spring onions.
- Cook for 2 minutes on a gentle heat.
To serve
- Turn potato cake onto the centre of the serving plate.
- Place the peas in the centre of potato.
- Place 3 pigeon breasts on top of the spring onions/peas.
- Pour the sauce over and serve.