Pigeon breast with watercress purée and girolles
A peppery watercress purée cuts through the richness of the pigeon perfectly, served with perky pickled girolles.
Ingredients
For the pickled girolles
- 50g/1¾ oz small girolles
- 1 banana shallot, finely chopped
- 50ml/2fl oz malt vinegar
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 50ml/2fl oz boiling water
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp Dijon mustard
- few thyme sprigs
For the pigeon breast
- 4 pigeon breasts
- 2 tbsp seasoned flour
- 1 free-range egg, beaten
- 50g/1¾ oz panko breadcrumbs
- 15g/½ oz unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp chopped thyme
- 1 garlic clove, smashed
For the watercress purée
- 100g/3½ oz frozen peas
- 1 garlic clove
- 400g/14oz watercress, stems removed, some leaves reserved to garnish
- 200ml/7oz chicken stock, hot
- 50ml/2fl oz olive oil
Method
To make the pickled girolles, soak the mushrooms and shallots in the vinegar, sugar, and boiling water for a few hours.
In a small bowl whisk the oil, Dijon and thyme. Remove the girolles from the pickling liquor with a slotted spoon and stir them into the dressing.
Meanwhile, to make the pigeon breast place the flour on a large plate. Put the egg in a shallow bowl and the panko breadcrumbs in another. Coat each pigeon breast with the flour mixture and pat off any excess. Dip in the egg and then the breadcrumb mixture to coat well. Set aside.
Add the butter, oil, thyme, and garlic to a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the pigeon breasts and fry for 2–3 minutes on both sides until crisp and golden on both sides and cooked to your liking.
To make the watercress purée, blitz the peas, garlic, and watercress leaves using a food processor or stick blender. Add the hot stock and olive oil to the mix and blitz to create a smooth purée. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
To serve, slice the pigeon breast. Pour the purée into shallow serving bowls, add the pickled mushrooms and shallots and top with the sliced pigeon breast. Garnish with a few watercress leaves.
