Colin Fleming, Head Chef at Edinburgh’s Printing Press Bar and Kitchen, showed us how to make this popular pigeon dish. Watch Colin cook the recipe in the video below and we’ve put the recipe below for those who want to try at home.
Roast wood pigeon with heritage beetroot and hazelnut crowdie
Serves 1
Ingredients
1 Wood pigeon
Thyme
Clove of garlic
Butter
30g Heritage beetroot roasted, peeled and diced into 1cm cube
10g Candy beetroot peeled and sliced on mandolin and pickled
15g Crowdie cheese softened with double cream
5g Roasted hazelnuts (skin removed)
10g Shallots sliced
20ml Ruby port
1 tbls Sherry vinegar
50ml Dark chicken stock
15g Ruby chard
5g Frisée lettuce
Salt and pepper
Method
First, make pigeon dressing by roasting the pigeon legs until golden brown
Sweat down the shallots until nutty brown and de-glaze with sherry vinegar
Add pigeon legs, port and reduce until the liquid has evaporated
Next, add chicken stock and reduce again until you have the consistency of a sauce
Finish with some of the pan juices from the pigeon and strain
Seal pigeon crown in hot pan until golden and add butter, thyme and garlic
Baste the pigeon and roast in the oven at 200 degree C for 4-5 minutes then leave to rest in a warm place
Next, grate half of the hazelnuts into crowdie cheese mix and place in a piping bag
To serve, pipe crowdie mix around the plate, before scattering with beetroot
Carve pigeon breast from bone, slice and place on beetroot. Dress with leaves, pigeon dressing and chopped and grated hazelnuts