Blueberry glazed pigeon breast

Name: Blueberry glazed pigeon breast
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 2 whole pigeons; for the glaze; 200 g blueberries; 3-10 tbsp dark brown sugar; 1-3 tsp lemon juice; 2 tbsp unsalted butter; for the salad; 1/2 bulb fennel; 1 apple (Granny smith works really well); 1/2 pear; 2 tsp finely chopped lemon rind; 1-3 tsp lemon juice; 1 tbsp fennel seeds; for the jus; 1 pigeon carcass; Up to 4 bones from a chicken thigh (optional); 1 onion; 3 carrots; 1 celery stick; 1/2 bulb garlic; 3 sprigs rosemary; 3 sprigs thyme; 1 tbsp tomato purée; 1 tbsp butter; to taste Salt and pepper

Conor Barnaby Powell @cook_7879337

Bristol

A way to use a cheap and delicious meat (pigeons can usually be picked up for around £2 at a butchers). The sweetness of the glaze with the sharpness of the salad really compliment the rich game flavours of pigeon.

Conor Barnaby Powell @cook_7879337

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Ingredients

4 servings

2whole pigeons
for the glaze
200 gblueberries
3-10 tbspdark brown sugar
1-3 tsplemon juice
2 tbspunsalted butter
for the salad
1/2bulb fennel
1apple (Granny smith works really well)
1/2pear
2 tspfinely chopped lemon rind
1-3 tsplemon juice
1 tbspfennel seeds
for the jus
1pigeon carcass
Up to 4 bones from a chicken thigh (optional)
1onion
3carrots
1celery stick
1/2bulb garlic
3 sprigsrosemary
3 sprigsthyme
1 tbsptomato purée
1 tbspbutter
to tasteSalt and pepper

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Steps

1

First, debreast the pigeon by pushing a knife against the backbone of the pigeon and cutting down until the breast comes free.
2

Put the carcass, chicken thighs, onion, celery, carrots and garlic on a baking tray, coat it all in tomato purée and roast at 180C until browned.
3

Once the bones are roasted nicely, put them in a pan with the rosemary anf thyme and cover wity water. Simmer for 2 - 4 hours, skimming off impurities and fat every 20 - 30 minutes.
4

Strain the stock through a sieve with a muslin cloth and return to the heat, reduce until the stock resembles a honey consistency, add the butter and stir in quickly to give a nice, rich shine and season to taste.
5

To make the glaze, put the blueberries in a pan and cover with water, boil and crush with a wooden spoon. Strain through a sieve once the water has taken on a deep colour and return the juices to a medium heat. Season with dark brown sugar and lemon juice to get a strong blueberry flavour with a nice amount of sweetness (the salad compliments the sweet blueberry glaze).
6

Reduce the glaze until it has a thick, syrup like consistency and mix in the butter, enriching the glaze and giving a wonderful shine.
7

Peel the apple (save the peelings for something else) and Rome the green frill from the top of the fennel (save the frill for a garnish). Julienne the apple, fennel and pear. Toss together with the finely chopped lemon rind, lemon juice and fennel seeds.
8

Heat up a frying pan until it's smoking, add a tsp of butter and roll it around the pan. Place the pigeon breast in the pan, skin side down and cook for 1 - 2 minutes until a crust has forned. Flip over and cook until the side is browned.
9

The pigeon can be served rare as it's a red meat, I cook to medium rare. As the breasts rest, coat them in the blueberry glaze and leave for a further 5 minutes.
10

Place a nice mound of the salad off-centre on the plate, slice the pigeon and put it on top with the fennel frill on top to garnish and drizzle the jus in a decirative swoosh. Zest a lemon over the whole dish and place some halved blueberries as you find attractive.
11

Serve up and enjoy!