Sous Vide Pigeon and Salsa Verde Recipe

Wood pigeon breast with salsa verde and black pudding beignets

Wood pigeon with salsa verde and black pudding beignets

Main
medium
Serves4
45 minutes, plus overnight soaking

PT45M

Will Holland cooks wood pigeon sous vide to ensure perfectly cooked, rare meat. To contrast the pigeons rich, gamey flavour the chef adds spoonfuls of braised lentils and a vibrant salsa verde, made with anchovies, capers and parsley.

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Ingredients

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Metric

Imperial

Pigeon

Braised lentils

100g of puy lentils
sherry vinegar
salt

Salsa verde

35g of capers
40g of Dijon mustard
25g of silver skin anchovy fillets
175g of olive oil
30g of mint leaves
35g of basil leaves
35g of flat-leaf parsley

Black pudding beignets

100g of black pudding, cut into 2cm dice
1 egg, beaten
plain flour
Panko breadcrumbs

Chargrilled radicchio

1 radicchio
olive oil

To plate

frisée lettuce

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Bar sealer
Water bath
Vacuum bags
Deep fat fryer
Liquidiser
Chargrill pan

To begin, submerge the lentils in water and leave to soak overnight

100g of puy lentils

The next day, drain and rinse the lentils and place in a saucepan. Cover with cold water, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 20–25 minutes, or until tender

Drain the lentils and season to taste with salt and sherry vinegar. Keep warm until ready to serve

salt
sherry vinegar

To make the salsa verde, place all of the ingredients in a liquidiser and blend until completely smooth. Refrigerate until required

35g of flat-leaf parsley
35g of capers
40g of Dijon mustard
25g of silver skin anchovy fillets
175g of olive oil
30g of mint leaves
35g of basil leaves
35g of basil leaves

Preheat a chargrill pan or barbecue until hot

Cut the radicchio into quarters, keeping the core intact. Lightly brush with oil and char on the chargrill pan or barbecue for 1–2 minutes on each side. Keep warm until ready to serve

olive oil
1 radicchio

To make the beignets, coat the black pudding in flour, then in the beaten egg and finally in the Panko breadcrumbs. Set aside until ready to fry

100g of black pudding, cut into 2cm dice
1 egg, beaten
plain flour
Panko breadcrumbs

Preheat a water bath to 55°C

Place the pigeon breasts in a vacuum bag and seal with a bar sealer. Cook in the water bath for 15 minutes

4 pigeon breasts

Preheat a deep-fryer to 175°C

Deep-fry the beignets for 2–3 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Season with salt

Remove the pigeon breasts from the vacuum bag and sear in a hot frying pan for 10 seconds on each side. Slice lengthways as thinly as possible and season with the sea salt

flaky sea salt

To serve, spread the salsa verde across the base of 4 plates. Add a piece of radicchio, a few spoonfuls of lentils and 3 black pudding beignets to each plate. Divide the carved pigeon between the plates and garnish with the frisée

frisée lettuce

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Will Holland

Will Holland's career path was set at age fourteen, at Bristol's Swallow Hotel under Michael Kitts. After training at college, Holland worked with Michelin-starred chefs at the Homewood Park Hotel and at Gravetye Manor Hotel.