Seared Pigeon Breast with Pancetta & Grape Salad

Name: Seared Pigeon Breast with Pancetta & Grape Salad
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 100 g / 4 oz / ⅔ cup seedless red or black grapes, halved; 80 g / 3 oz pack mixed salad leaves; 50 g / 2 oz sliced smoked pancetta or smoked streaky bacon (about 3-4 rashers), snipped into small pieces; 100 g / 4 oz / ⅔ cup seedless red or black grapes, halved; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 50 g / 2 oz sliced smoked pancetta or smoked streaky bacon (about 3-4 rashers), snipped into small pieces; 2 tbsp verjuice or white wine vinegar; 4 pigeon breasts, skin on; salt and pepper to season; 2 tbsp saffron vinaigrette; salt and pepper to season; 1 pinch / 20-30 saffron strands, crushed; ¼ tsp ground nutmeg; ¼ tsp ground ginger; 1 small clove garlic, peeled and crushed with ¼ tsp sea salt flakes; 1 small clove garlic, peeled and crushed with ¼ tsp sea salt flakes; 2 tbsp verjuice or white wine vinegar; Pinch of ground black pepper

Preparation info

Serves
2
as a light lunch

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Fool's Gold

By Sam Bilton

Published 2022

About

Adapted from the recipe ‘Hochepoche of Pigeons’ in A Perfect School of Instructions for the Officers of the Mouth (c. 1682) by Giles Rose.

Ingredients

1 pinch / 20-30 saffron strands, crushed
¼ tsp ground ginger

Europe
United Kingdom
Lunch
Gluten-free

Method

Mix the saffron, ground spices, crushed garlic, and a pinch of pepper with the verjuice or white wine vinegar. Rub this into the pigeon breasts and leave to marinate in the fridge for a few hours or even overnight.
Heat the oil in a large, non stick frying pan over a medium to high heat. Pat the pigeon breasts dry on some kitchen paper. Once th