Wood Pigeon Pithivier with Truffled Cep Duxelles and Bordelaise Sauce.
Wood Pigeon Pithivier with Truffled Cep Duxelles and Bordelaise Sauce.
This is an absolute knockout, and much easier to make than it looks. It’s a perfect date night recipe, rich and beautiful in flavour and just the right amount. If you’re looking to impress your loved ones, this is absolutely worth the little extra effort. Truly, it really is simple to make and once you’ve made it the first time, you’ll be doing it again and again with finesse and speed.
Ingredients (Serves 2)
4 Wood Pigeon Breasts
150g Fresh Spinach
Plain Flour to Dust
300Gg Butter Puff Pastry
3 Egg Yolks
Lettuce to Serve
Truffle Shavings (Optional)
Mushroom Duxelles
100g Shallots
1 Garlic Clove
50g Unsalted Butter
500g Mushrooms (Ceps or Chestnut Mushrooms)
Finely chopped Fresh Thyme Leaves (4 sprigs)
Brandy
Truffle Oil (Optional)
For the Sauce
100g Smoked Bacon Lardons
100g Shallots
150g Ceps / Mushrooms cut into 1cm Pieces
100ml Red Wine, or Large Splash of Port.
100ml Beef Stock
1 Tbsp Chopped Parsley.
Method
Sear each Pigeon Breast in a hot pan, lightly browning on each side. Put on a plate and pop in the fridge to cool so they don’t keep cooking.
Blanch the spinach in a pan of lightly salted boiling water for a few seconds. Remove and plunge into ice water. Drain and lay it out and pat with kitchen paper to dry.
To make the duxelles, sauté the shallots, garlic, mushrooms and butter together with the chopped thyme leaves. Keep on low heat until any moisture reduces right down, then add a splash of brandy and cook off the alcohol. Add a little truffle oil if desired.
To make the pithiviers, dust work surface with flour and roll out pastry. Use 10cm Pastry cutter to cut a base for each pithivier. Then cut out 12cm lids for each one.
Season the spinach and then place it evenly on each pastry base centre.
Place two pigeon breasts on each base, one on top of the other. Top the pigeon with Mushroom duxelles and cup it over the whole pile with your hands to shape it into a tight mound.
Brush egg yolk around the edges of the pastry base and gently stretch the pastry lids over the top and sealing the edges so no air remains in the parcel. Brush egg yolk all over the pithivier and then swirl very gently with a knife to make the pithivier markings from the centre outwards.
Bake for 20-25 Minutes at 185C until golden.
To make the sauce, caramelise the lardons, and sauté the onions and mushrooms gently for a few minutes, and add the red wine or port along with the stock and reduce slightly. Add chopped parsley to sauce just before serving. Serve with salad leaves topped with fresh truffle shavings and the Bordelaise Sauce.
Wine Pairing: Serve with a good quality Bordeaux. Master Sommelier Ronan Sayburn recommends Château L'Église Clinet, Pomerol to pair with this dish. His pairings are always sublime and highly recommended to follow if you want a guaranteed treat, but suffice to say that your own favourite Claret will also do a sturdy job.
Links
Wine Recommendation: Château L'Eglise Clinet, Pomerol, available from Fortnum & Mason.
Wood Pigeon: Try The Wild Meat Company or The Dorset Meat Company.
Black Truffles: Truffle Hunter Whole Black Truffles available from Selfridges
Recipe Book: 67 Pall Mall, Wine and Food, The Perfect Match by Ronan Sayburn & Marcus Verberne.
