‘I love this recipe for the combination of the tangy, fruity flavours of the plum and orange against the almost nutty flavour of the pigeon,’ says Scott Halliday, head chef at Trevaskis Farm.
Wood Pigeon can be shot all year in the UK – there is no close season. A good time to shoot them is when the farmers plant spring crops during March/April.Wild game gives you the flavour that mass produced food doesn’t have, with the added benefit of lower fat and no chemicals or anitbiotics pumped into it. No special skills are needed other than to know that you hold a knife with the end that doesn’t hurt. Preparation of the bird before cooking is fairly simple.
Serves 4
1. Prepare the plums by dicing into 1cm pieces. Place into a saucepan with the orange zest and juice. Cook on a medium to high heat on the hob for 10 minutes.
2. Season both sides of the pigeon breasts with salt and pepper.
3. Add the oil to a frying pan, then warm on a gentle heat. Add the pigeon breast and cook for approximately 3 minutes on each side.
4. Finish the sauce with a dash of Cointreau. Stir and take off the heat.
5. Place a pigeon breast in the middle of each plate and drizzle the plum and orange sauce around, then serve with your choice of potatoes and vegetables.
Trevaskis Farm
12 Gwinear Road, Connor Downs, Hayle, TR27 5JQ.
Tel. 01209 713931.
www.trevaskisfarm.co.uk
