In this remarkable pigeon recipe, Adam Gray shows us an easy way to serve up a meaty and full-flavoured starter. This is restaurant-style food but with surprisingly little time or effort required, making this a fantastic mid-week meal option. This recipe contains instructions on how to make walnut dressing for the celeriac salad, which can be made ahead and stored to use with other salads as well. Order the squab pigeons from your local butcher, as many supermarkets don't usually stock it
Method
1.
To make the walnut dressing, combine all the ingredients a bowl and whisk to emulsify. Adjust the seasoning to taste and set aside until required
Walnut dressing
The walnut dressing will keep for several weeks. Store it in a sealed bottle in the fridge
2.
To roast the pigeon, preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas mark 4 and place a tray in the oven to heat up. Remove the legs, wings and wish bone from the pigeon and set aside for another recipe
3.
Heat a little oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and season the pigeon with salt. Seal in the pan until golden brown all over. Transfer to the tray in the oven. Roast the pigeon for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and rest for 3-4 minutes
4.
To make the celeriac salad, peel and finely julienne the celeriac. If you are not confident with your knife skills you can grate instead. Mix the mustard and mayonnaise together. Then add gradually to the celeriac, ensuring that the final mixture is not too wet
VideoVideo: Make a mayonnaise
Julienne
Julienne is a precision cut to give a matchstick size finish to a fruit of vegetable. Technically 2x2x50mm. However it can be longer to achieve a different finish and texture to a dish
5.
Add 3 tablespoons of the walnut dressing and lemon juice to taste. Do not season until immediately before serving as the mixture will break down and become mushy
6.
To serve, remove the breasts from the pigeons and slice into three. Season the celeriac salad and place a pile of the celeriac in the middle of four plates
7.
Dress the mixed salad leaves and the chervil sprigs with a little of the walnut dressing and arrange around the outside of the celeriac
Using leftover pigeon meat
The leftover pigeon meat and bones can be used to make a stock
8.
Fan the sliced pigeon breasts on top of the celeriac salad and serve
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