Name: Wood Pigeon Pithivier
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 500 ml beef or veal stock; 1 fresh truffle (optional); 1 sprig of thyme; 1 shallot chopped; 1 kg puff pastry; 2 eggs; ½ bottle red wine; 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar; 1 clove garlic; 500 g mixed wild mushrooms; 1 bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped; white truffle oil; salt & pepper; 200 g duck liver, or chicken liver; 4 whole pigeons, oven-ready; 500 g baby spinach; rapeseed oil; 4 shallots; 100 g butter; 4 button mushrooms sliced

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

On The Menu

By James Mackenzie

Published 2011

About

A pithivier is a classic French dish that can contain a whole assortment of ingredients, from a sweet version using frangipane, to a vegetarian option filled with spinach and goat’s cheese. You can use pigeon, partridge or a mixture of any game birds for this recipe, which will all create a unique version of this posh French pie.

Ingredients

4 whole pigeons, oven-ready
rapeseed oil
500 g baby spinach
100

Method

Heat a large frying pan and sear the pigeon in a little rapeseed oil until the skin is evenly coloured. Remove from heat and remove the breasts from the pigeon. Once cooled put in the fridge until needed.

Heat a knob of butter in a large saucepan, add the spinach, wilt and season. Spread the cooked spinach out on a clean tea towel to cool, then squeeze the excess water out of the spinac