Sticky Pigeon Breast
forager’s relish, hedgerow and beetroot crisps
This is a recipe for those who love to forage
using Womersley Blackberry Vinegar https://www.womersleyfoods.com/blackberry-vinegar-new
Sticky Pigeon Breast
By Published: October 31, 2017
- Yield: 2 Servings
- Cook: 20 mins
Sticky Pigeon Breast forager’s relish, hedgerow and beetroot crisps This is a recipe for those who love to …
Ingredients
- 4 pigeon breasts
- 10 grams washed sloes
- 10 grams Washed topped and tailed rosehips
- 10 grams washed and stems removed Hawthorn berries
- 10 grams washed Bullis - wild fruit similar to a plum but small and round with a dark skin
- Pinch of Mixed Spice
- 1 gram Arrowroot to mix the pigeon glaze and thicken it slightly
- 200 ml cold water
- salt to season
- 60 grams washed sloes Foragers Relish
- 60 grams washed top and tailed Wild Rosehips Foragers Relish
- 60 grams washed bullis Foragers Relish
- 60 grams Hawthorn berries washed and stalks removed Foragers Relish
- 30 grams Elderberries washed and stems removed Foragers Relish
- 200 grams Womersley Blackberry Vinegar Foragers Relish
- 40 grams Golden Caster Sugar Foragers Relish
- Large pinch of blended spice mix Foragers Relish
- 100 grams finely chopped white onion Foragers Relish
- 100 grams peeled and finely chopped apple Foragers Relish
- 4 grams Arrowroot thickener (To stir in at the end, sometimes if your berries are very juicy you may need another gram of Arrowroot to thicken the mixture) Foragers Relish
Instructions
- Bring all foraged ingredients together in a pan with the water and spice mix and bring to the boil.
Add the arrowroot and stir into the mix until the berries thicken and remove from the heat.
Sieve through a drum sieve to remove all seeds, pips and stones and discard.
- Once you have rubbed the pigeon breasts with the spice rub vac Pac the birds ( a machine that extracts the air out of the pouch) with the glaze mixture and cook the Pigeon “Sous Vide” style until pink. This should usually be cooked to 54 degrees in the centre of the breast (use a probe to check and re- seal the pouch with some foam sticker)
- Or pan fry the pigeon breast for 2 to 3 mins on each side
and then rest well for 8 minutes.
- Add 10 g butter to a hot pan until it is foaming gently. Add the pigeon breast and liquor from the glaze and sauté to a golden colour for 5 seconds. Season, remove and place the pigeon on the dish the glaze will cling like paint to the pigeon breast for service.
- Forager’s Relish
Place all the foraged berries in a bowl and squash the berries to release some of the juice .Leave all the pips and seeds etc in the fruit pulp and boil this up with the Blackberry vinegar
- Once brought up to the boil simmer gently for a short time to extract all the berry flavour from the Hedgerow finds. Then sieve this into a clean pan and add the 40 g of Golden Caster Sugar and the large pinch of spice mix. Add the onion and the apple and re boil this mixture all together
- Thicken with the 4 g of arrowroot-depending on the juiciness of the berries you may have to adapt this and the amount of sugar needed may differ if a little more sweetness is required
- Allow this mixture to cool and bottle the mix in a sterilised Kilner type jar or bottle. Once opened the Foragers relish will keep in the fridge up to three days and it will keep unopened for a maximum of 3-6 months.
- Hedgerow and Beetroot Crisps
If you are able to get hold of various types of Beetroot for this recipe, the crisps take on a much stronger visual appeal and are more interesting to eat with subtle flavour differences.
Hedgerow finds depend on your luck and the time of year as to what may be good .Here in Yorkshire Horseradish crisps are great and add a real kick to the dish.
Alternatively Burdock root makes fantastic crisps if you are able to locate this.
- Peel and finely slice your hedgerow finds. Place in them in a stock mixture (100 ml of cold water with 100 grams of sugar) and bring to the boil. Remove off the heat and place the crisps onto a cloth to soak up any excess liquid and then place on dehydrator trays. Leave the crisps in the dehydrator machine and cook on a very gentle heat for approximately 8 hours. (you can also use the bottom of an aga for on a very low heat in the oven)
