“Sorrel, the slender herbaceous perennial plant much loved for its appley, sour flavour, makes a beautiful sauce to serve alongside pigeon, cutting the rich dark meat with its clean, sharp quality.” – Gill Meller.
Check out more seasonal dishes from the Delicious columnist in our Gill Meller recipes collection.
Ingredients
- 8 wood pigeon breasts
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 8 rashers streaky bacon
- Knob of butter
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 100ml chicken or vegetable stock
- 150g sorrel, stalks removed
- 150ml double cream
For the brine
- 4 tsp salt
- 6 bay leaves
- 2 garlic cloves, bashed
- Small handful fresh thyme sprigs
- 500ml apple juice
Method
- Put all the ingredients for the brine in a pan set over a medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat and leave to cool completely.
- Put the pigeon breasts in a glass/ceramic bowl and pour over the cooled brine. Cover and chill for 12 hours or overnight.
- Remove the pigeon from the brine (discard the brine) and pat dry with kitchen paper. Put on a plate, cover with cling film and chill until needed.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the bacon until golden and starting to crisp. Turn up the heat and add the pigeon breasts. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side (it needs to be pink in the middle), then transfer the pigeon and bacon to a plate. Cover with foil to keep warm.
- Lower the heat and add the butter. When it foams, add the shallot and cook, stirring regularly, until softened. Pour in the stock, bring up to a simmer and bubble until most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Cut the sorrel leaves into rough ribbons and add to the shallot. Give the sorrel a stir to ensure the leaves are nicely wilted. Add the cream, stir, then bring the sauce up to a simmer. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly. Season, then remove the pan from the heat.
- Divide the bacon among 4 warmed plates. Slice the pigeon thickly and arrange next to the bacon on the plates. Spoon the sorrel sauce onto the plates and serve.
Nutrition
- 526kcals Calories
- 43.3g (18.4g saturated) Fat
- 32.8g Protein
- 0.9g (0.8g sugars) Carbs
- 0.5g Fibre
- 2.4g Salt
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