(4 portions) 4 Wood Pigeons (legs jointed for the confit leg) 200g Potatoes 200g Dried dates 100ml Port 100ml Water 150g Macadamia nuts 1 Savoy cabbage 150ml Milk Duck fat (as required) 50g Butter 250g Cauliflower 60g cooked/tinned butterbeans Salt and pepper (as required) For the confit leg: The legs from the pigeons 200ml Duck fat Small sprig of thyme 12 Garlic cloves 50 g Macadamia nuts
The confit leg: 1. Place the fat and thyme in to a pan 2. Place the ducks legs, garlic cloves and macadamia nuts in the duck fat and cook gently for twenty minutes. 3. Remove the thyme, garlic and macadamias and allow to cool. 4. Carry on cooking the pigeon legs until very tender and coming off the bone, remove and cool. 5. Reserve the nuts and garlic for service. The roasted pigeon: 1. To make the date puree, bring together the dates, port and water and simmer, then place in a good blender and puree until smooth, adjust thickness by adding a little water. Season to taste. 2. Cut cauliflower into small pieces and place in a pan with the milk, 150g macadamia nuts and a little salt, simmer until the cauliflower is cooked. 3. Remove cauliflower and nuts and place in to a processor and reserve the milk. 4. Process until smooth and adjust the consistency by adding milk as required, also 30g butter. It should be soft, light and just hold up on the plate. Reserve. 5. To make the potatoes, slice thinly on a mandolin and layer in an oven proof dish, seasoning as you go. Brush with a little butter and duck fat as you layer. 6. Half way through the layers, flake the prepared confit leg meat in the middle and then carry on layering the potatoes. 7. Cover with foil and place in the oven at 180°C and bake, remove foil for the last 15 minutes, this should take approx 45 minutes. Test with a skewer. 8. When cooked allow to cool, press and place in to the fridge until required. 9. Shred the cabbage and blanch and reserve. 10. Heat a little oil in a roasting pan and add 20g of butter, then the pigeons, colour carefully on all sides. Place in the oven and roast for approx 7-10 minutes gas mark 7 220 c. once cooked rest for 10 minutes 11. Carefully remove the pressed potatoes from the baking tray, cut into slices and pan fry in a little butter, refresh the cabbage. 12. To assemble place the cabbage on the plate, a slice of potato pan fried in butter, sauté the confit garlic, butterbeans and macadamia nuts. 13. Remove the breast from the rested birds, spoon and pull the cauliflower and macadamia cream on the plate. 14. Place the pigeon breast on the potato with a scattering of the sautéed garlic cloves, macadamias and butterbeans. Spoon some warmed date puree and pull across the plate 15. Drizzle with the reduced pan juices form the roast pigeon Recipe created by Nick Vadis, Executive Chef of Compass UK and Ireland