Wood Pigeon Salad With Bacon And Black Pudding
Posted: February 6, 2009 at 6:32 pm
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 2 pigeon breasts
- 200g good black pudding
- 100g pancetta, cut into lardons
- Splash of sherry vinegar
- 2 large handfuls of salad leaves
For the vinaigrette:
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
- Squeeze of lemon juice
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Crusty bread to serve
Method: How to make wood pigeon salad with bacon and black pudding
1. Season the pigeon breast with oil, sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Heat a heavy based frying pan until hot. Add the pigeon breasts skin side down and fry for about 1 minute each side. They should feel slightly springy when pressed, transfer to a plate to rest.
2. For the vinaigrette whisk together the olive oil, sherry vinegar, seasoning and a squeeze of lemon juice. Spoon a little of the vinaigrette on the resting pigeon breasts then cover them with foil to keep warm.
3. Tip out the excess oil from the pigeon pan and add the pancetta. Cook the pancetta for a couple of minutes, then crumble in the black pudding. Cook them together for 3 – 4 minutes until crispy. Deglaze the pan with sherry vinegar and allow to cook out for around a minute. Drain the contents of the pan through a sieve and rest on kitchen paper.
4. Place the salad leaves in a large bowl and drizzle over most of the remaining vinaigrette. Add the bacon and black pudding mix and toss together.
5. Arrange the salad onto serving plates. Slice the pigeon breast thickly into approx 4 even pieces, arrange on top of the salad leaves , drizzle the juices from the cooking pan over the pigeon along with a final touch of reserved vinaigrette. Serve with crusty bread.