Seared Pigeon Breasts with Balsamic Vinegar, Rocket and Parmesan

Name: Seared Pigeon Breasts with Balsamic Vinegar, Rocket and Parmesan
Yield: Serves 4 as a light meal or starter
Ingredients: chicken or pigeon stock (see cook’s notes) 4–5 tbsp; unsalted butter for frying; sea salt flakes to taste; freshly ground black pepper to taste; extra-virgin olive oil for brushing; pigeons 4; radish sprouts 2 small handfuls (optional); sage leaves 3–4, shredded; fresh bay leaves 2, shredded; garlic clove 1, crushed; good red wine 100 ml/3½ fl oz; aged balsamic vinegar 1–2 tsp; Parmesan shavings a few; rocket 4 small handfuls; white peppercorns 1 tsp, crushed; extra-virgin olive oil 2 tbsp; black peppercorns 1 tsp, crushed

Preparation info

Serves
4
as a light meal or starter

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Pepper

By Christine McFadden

Published 2008

About

An impressive and robustly-flavoured dish which is relatively quick and simple to cook once the marinade and stock are out of the way. Black and white peppercorns add gentle pungency, balanced by the mellow sweetness of aged balsamic vinegar.

Ingredients

pigeons 4
extra-virgin olive oil for brushing
sea salt flakes to taste
unsalted butter for frying

Starter
Main course
Gluten-free

Method

Remove the breasts from the pigeons cutting the meat as close to the bone as possible. Put in a bowl with the marinade ingredients. Cover and leave in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days. Discard the carcasses or use them to make stock (see cook’s notes).

Reserving the marinade, pat the breasts dry with paper towels, scraping off a