Wood Pigeon Salad Recipe, Beetroot Compote

Warm salad of Alresford wood pigeon with caramelised walnuts and beetroot compote

Main
easy
4
2 hours 20 minutes, plus chilling

PT2H20M

This pigeon recipe brings out the best in this most tender and juicy of birds. Matthew Tomkinson partners the pigeon with a fantastic salad of nuts, beetroot and pickled mushrooms. Learn more about how to roast a whole pigeon in our guide.

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Ingredients

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Pigeon recipe

4 pigeon crowns
8 pigeon legs
1 tbsp of honey
30g of butter
175ml of red wine, fruity
500ml of dark chicken stock
100g of mirepoix, chopped onion, celery and carrot

Candied walnuts recipe

20 walnut halves
100g of sugar
100ml of water

Pickled mushrooms recipe

100g of Hon Shimeji mushrooms
50g of caster sugar
42ml of white wine vinegar
42ml of water
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of thyme

Beetroot compote recipe

2 large beetroots
1/2 onion, peeled and chopped
30g of butter
1 English apple, peeled, cored and grated
20g of capers
250ml of red wine
2 tbsp of redcurrant jelly

To plate

1 handful of watercress

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Sugar thermometer

Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Sweat the mirepoix (chopped onion, celery and carrot) in the butter for five minutes, add the honey and allow to caramelise before adding the wine and reducing by half

100g of mirepoix
30g of butter
1 tbsp of honey
175ml of red wine

Meanwhile, season the pigeon legs and roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes until golden brown

8 pigeon legs

Add the stock and the roasted legs to the sauce and simmer for an hour. Pass through a sieve and reserve

500ml of dark chicken stock

For the beetroot compote, wrap the beetroots in foil so they are quite well-sealed and roast for 40 minutes until they are just tender. When cool, peel and coarsely grate

2 large beetroots

To make the candied walnuts, dissolve the sugar in the water and add the nuts. Bring the mixture to the boil and cook until it reaches 140°C. Drain quickly and then deep-fry the nuts in oil at 180°C until golden and crispy. Drain and allow to cool

20 walnut halves
100g of sugar
100ml of water

In a small pan, sweat the onion in the butter then add the beetroot and the grated apple, followed by the capers. Once most of the liquid has evaporated, add the wine and jelly and cook until thick and glossy

1/2 onion
30g of butter
1 English apple
20g of capers
250ml of red wine
2 tbsp of redcurrant jelly

For the pickled mushrooms, bring the water and vinegar to the boil. Add the sugar to taste and then add the mushrooms, bay leaf and thyme. Remove from the heat and chill

100g of Hon Shimeji mushrooms
50g of caster sugar
42ml of white wine vinegar
42ml of water
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of thyme

Turn the oven up to 240°C/gas mark 9 (or as high as it will go)

Brown the crowns in a hot pan with a splash of olive oil and place in the oven for six minutes. Allow to rest, then carve off the breasts

4 pigeon crowns

To serve, scatter the walnuts and mushrooms around the plate and place drops of beetroot compote in and around. Lay the breasts over the garnish and top with watercress leaves and a few spoons of the sauce

1 handful of watercress

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Matthew Tomkinson

Matthew Tomkinson was always destined for great things. Starting his career in 1998 at a vegetarian restaurant in Cheshire, Tomkinson went on to win the prestigious Roux Scholarship in 2005 (at 29).