Serves 2
Ingredients
- 3–4 wood pigeon breasts
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small knob of butter
- horseradish sauce, to serve
- pinch or two of beetroot powder (optional), to serve
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the brine
- 15g (½oz) salt
- 6 bay leaves
- a few sprigs of thyme
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and bashed
- 300ml (10½fl oz) apple juice
For the beetroot
- 350g (12oz) fine salt
- 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
- 2 beetroot, scrubbed but not peeled
Method
First, prepare the brine. Place all the brine ingredients in a medium pan over a medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat, transfer the liquid to a jug, cool, then put in the fridge to chill.
Once the brine is cold, place the pigeon breasts in a bowl and pour over the chilled brine. Place in the fridge for at least 12 hours, or overnight. Remove the pigeon from the brine and pat dry with kitchen paper, then pop in the fridge until you’re ready to cook.
Next, prepare the beetroots. Heat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5. Combine the fine salt with the egg whites to make a thick paste. Mould equal amounts of the paste around each beetroot, then place them on a baking tray and bake for 1 hour, until tender.
To make the dish, set a medium frying pan over a high heat. Add the olive oil and when hot add the brined pigeon breasts. Fry the breasts for 2–3 minutes on each side, add the butter and baste the meat as it bubbles away. Cook for 1–2 minutes on each side, until the breasts are browned on the outsides and pink in the middle, then remove them to a plate and allow them to rest for 5 minutes in a warm place.
To serve, crack the salt crust away from the beetroot, slice each root in half and place two halves on each plate. Slice each pigeon breast in half (I like to do this on the diagonal), and divide equally between the plates. Add seasoning, a generous spoonful of horseradish sauce to each plate, and a sprinkling of beetroot powder, if using. Bring to the table and eat at once.
