Recipe: Pigeon Salad with Wild Mushrooms & Madeira Vinaigrette

Serves: 4 people

Ingredients:

• 4 wood pigeons, with breasts removed (keep the carcasses for stock)
• 600g of various wild mushrooms
• 2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
• Selection of your favourite salad leaves
• 150ml Madeira
• 30ml white wine vinegar
• 200ml olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Method:

1. To prepare the Madeira dressing, reduce Madeira by half, add the white wine vinegar, olive oil and a little salt and pepper.
2. Pick over the wild mushrooms (use a nail brush to remove any bits of dirt).
3. Heat a frying pan with a little olive oil, season the pigeon breasts with salt and pepper and fry the breasts for 2-3 minutes on each side, remove from the pan and leave to rest.
4. In the same pan, add another splash of oil and fry the chopped shallots, then the mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes, season with salt and pepper.
5. Dress the salad leaves with the Madeira dressing, and place on a plate. Spoon the mushrooms over the salad and finally, lay the sliced pigeon on top.

Thanks to Taste Of Game for the recipe.

Recipe originally by Neil Dowson and Paula Minchin at the Victoria Holkham. Photography by Cubist Studios.