Serves four as a starter
* 8 wood pigeon breasts
* 6 black figs
* 75ml port
* 75ml sherry vinegar
* 400g buttermilk
* 50g milk
* 50g double cream
* 10g lemon juice
* 1/2 loaf of brioche
* Rapeseed oil as required
* 1 parsnip
* Mustard frill leaves as required
First make the fig puree by cutting the figs in half and removing the flesh, place into a bowl and crush with a fork to make a smooth pulp.
In a small pan combine the port and sherry vinegar and cook over a medium heat until the liquid is reduced to two teaspoons.
Add the syrup to the fig pulp and stir to combine, refrigerate.
To make the parsnip crisps; using a vegetable peeler peel all the flesh from around the core of the parsnip.
In batches shallow fry the peelings in medium to hot oil about 170C until golden brown and drain on paper towel, season with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, set aside.
To make the croutons; remove the crust from the brioche and cut into small cubes about 1/2cm, gently shallow fry the brioche cubes in the oil until golden brown and drain on paper towel.
To make the buttermilk sauce; in a small pan combine the milk and double cream and bring to a boil, add the buttermilk and lemon juice and stir to combine, season with salt and set aside.
Season the pigeon breasts with salt and lightly coat in oil.
Place skin side down into a hot pan and leave for 30 seconds, turn over and cook for another 30 seconds, add a knob of butter and turn over again for another 30 seconds and over again for another 30 seconds .
Remove the breasts from the pan and allow to rest for four minutes.
To plate use a round pastry cutter in the middle of the plate and spread a thin layer of the fig puree to fill the inside, place a few croutons on the fig puree, remove the cutter.
Cut the pigeon breasts in half and place four halves on to the croutons at different angles on each plate.
Warm the buttermilk sauce and whisk to make it light and foamy, spoon some sauce over and around the pigeon on each plate.
Place a few parsnip crisps around and over the pigeon breasts.
Garnish each plate with a few mustard frill leaves and serve.
-
Do you want alerts delivered straight to your phone via our WhatsApp service? Text NEWS or SPORT or NEWS AND SPORT, depending on which services you want, and your full name to 07767 417704. Save our number into your phone’s contacts as Oxford Mail WhatsApp and ensure you have WhatsApp installed.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article