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Serves 4.
Ingredients
• 12 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp oil
• 4 wood pigeons
• 12 medium shallots
• 12 button mushrooms
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 0.5 bay leaves
• 100 ml port
• 200 ml dark chicken stock
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 pinches black pepper
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Peel the garlic cloves and leave whole. Blanch in boiling water, drain and rinse. Repeat the process a second time.
2. Heat the oil in a large cast iron casserole pan and fry gently, until golden - about 10 minutes. Add the shallots to the pan and continue cooking until they turn colour.
3. Add the blanched garlic cloves and stir and fry for 3-4 minutes. Tip in the mushrooms and add the thyme, bay leaf and port. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and place the casserole in the oven for 25 minutes - until the birds are tender
4. Remove the pigeons from the casserole, transfer to a plate and leave to rest, covered in kitchen foil, for about five minutes. Strain the sauce from the pan - reserving the liquid and cooked shallots, mushroom and garlic in separate bowls.
5. Take the skin off the pigeons and carefully remove the bones from the breast and legs. Place all the meat on a plate and leave on one side while you make the sauce.6. Now make the sauce, tip the bones into a saucepan and pour in the stock and strained sauce from the casserole pan. Cook down until syrupy, over a medium heat - about 5 minutes. Strain the sauce and discard the bones. Stir in the butter, in small pieces, away from the heat - this gives the sauce a glossy sheen and adds richness.
7. Place the warm cooked mushrooms, shallots and garlic on a plate and cover with the pigeon meat. Pour the sauce over the pigeons and serve straight away.
Ingredients
• 12 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp oil
• 4 wood pigeons
• 12 medium shallots
• 12 button mushrooms
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 0.5 bay leaves
• 100 ml port
• 200 ml dark chicken stock
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 pinches black pepper
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Peel the garlic cloves and leave whole. Blanch in boiling water, drain and rinse. Repeat the process a second time.
2. Heat the oil in a large cast iron casserole pan and fry gently, until golden - about 10 minutes. Add the shallots to the pan and continue cooking until they turn colour.
3. Add the blanched garlic cloves and stir and fry for 3-4 minutes. Tip in the mushrooms and add the thyme, bay leaf and port. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and place the casserole in the oven for 25 minutes - until the birds are tender
4. Remove the pigeons from the casserole, transfer to a plate and leave to rest, covered in kitchen foil, for about five minutes. Strain the sauce from the pan - reserving the liquid and cooked shallots, mushroom and garlic in separate bowls.
5. Take the skin off the pigeons and carefully remove the bones from the breast and legs. Place all the meat on a plate and leave on one side while you make the sauce.6. Now make the sauce, tip the bones into a saucepan and pour in the stock and strained sauce from the casserole pan. Cook down until syrupy, over a medium heat - about 5 minutes. Strain the sauce and discard the bones. Stir in the butter, in small pieces, away from the heat - this gives the sauce a glossy sheen and adds richness.
7. Place the warm cooked mushrooms, shallots and garlic on a plate and cover with the pigeon meat. Pour the sauce over the pigeons and serve straight away.
