David Pugh

Squab pigeon with foie gras butter

Serves

Ingredients

3 x 450g squab pigeons
6 small field mushrooms
210g foie gras pate (60g diced)
250ml chicken stock
500g broad beans
60ml vegetable oil
350ml cream
130g butter
chervil

Method

Shell broad beans and blanch in boiling salted water for 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and refresh under cold running water.

When cool, remove outside husk from each bean.

Pre-heat oven and baking tray to 200 degrees.

Pour 30ml of vegetable oil into baking tray, roast pigeons breast side down until lightly coloured (approximately 10 minutes).

Turn pigeon and cook breast up for another 5 minutes, remove from oven and rest for 10 minutes.

Remove stalks from field mushrooms and saute in a hot pan with remaining vegetable oil.

Warm broad beans gently with 30g butter.

Place one field mushroom in the centre of each plate.

Scatter broad beans and diced foie gras around outside of plate.

Carve breasts and legs from pigeons and rest over mushrooms.

Pour foie gras sauce around outside of plate, garnish with chervil and serve.

To make the foie gras butter, bring chicken stock and cream to the boil in a heavy based pot and reduce by half.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then whisk in remaining butter that has been softened and pate.

Season to taste with salt and pepper, strain and serve.

NB Reduction and demi-glace can be prepared in advance, but do not add butter or foie gras until serving.