Ingredients:
Method:
Take 8 whole, skinless pigeon breasts and toss with 2 tsp olive oil, a few thyme leaves and some seasoning. Set aside. Fry 6 rashers of unsmoked, streaky bacon in a heavy frying pan until crisp. Set aside.
Add the pigeon breasts to the hot pan with the bacon fat. Cook for a minute before turning, cook for another minute and turn again, then toss them in the pan for a couple more minutes.
Slice one of the breasts in half. If it is just nicely pink in the middle, remove all the breasts and leave to rest. If it still looks raw, cook for another minute or two. Throw 2 peeled, bruised garlic cloves into the hot pan, quickly followed by 2 tbsp white wine.
Deglaze the pan, scraping up any caramelised bits with a spatula. When the wine has reduced by half, remove from the heat and stir in 1 tbsp white wine vinegar and 4 tbsp olive oil. Season. Discard the garlic cloves.
Use half the vinaigrette to dress a pile of mixed salad leaves, then divide them between 4 plates. Cut each pigeon breast diagonally into 4 or 5 slices. Arrange them over the leaves.
Break the crisp bacon into bits and add it too, then drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the top. Serve at once.
- 8 whole, skinless pigeon breasts
- 2 tsp olive oil
- a few thyme leaves
- salt and pepper
- 6 rashers of unsmoked, streaky bacon
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp white wine
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- mixed salad leaves
Method:
Take 8 whole, skinless pigeon breasts and toss with 2 tsp olive oil, a few thyme leaves and some seasoning. Set aside. Fry 6 rashers of unsmoked, streaky bacon in a heavy frying pan until crisp. Set aside.
Add the pigeon breasts to the hot pan with the bacon fat. Cook for a minute before turning, cook for another minute and turn again, then toss them in the pan for a couple more minutes.
Slice one of the breasts in half. If it is just nicely pink in the middle, remove all the breasts and leave to rest. If it still looks raw, cook for another minute or two. Throw 2 peeled, bruised garlic cloves into the hot pan, quickly followed by 2 tbsp white wine.
Deglaze the pan, scraping up any caramelised bits with a spatula. When the wine has reduced by half, remove from the heat and stir in 1 tbsp white wine vinegar and 4 tbsp olive oil. Season. Discard the garlic cloves.
Use half the vinaigrette to dress a pile of mixed salad leaves, then divide them between 4 plates. Cut each pigeon breast diagonally into 4 or 5 slices. Arrange them over the leaves.
Break the crisp bacon into bits and add it too, then drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the top. Serve at once.
