Roasted wood pigeon on toast

Cooking game on top of a thick slice of sourdough bread is a lovely rustic way to trap all of the juices. Add herbs and red wine for extra oomph

  • Prep:20 mins
    Cook:30 mins
  • Serves 2
  • More effort

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 602
  • fat 36g
  • saturates 9g
  • carbs 18g
  • sugars 1g
  • fibre 1g
  • protein 37g
  • salt 1.3g

Ingredients

  • 2 oven-ready wood pigeons
  • handful robust herbs such as thyme, sage and rosemary
  • 4 garlic cloves, bashed but not peeled
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 25g butter
  • 2 thick slices sourdough bread
  • 150ml red wine (Chianti works well)

Method

  1. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Season the pigeons generously, stuff the cavities with nearly all the herbs, and place a garlic clove in each bird. Heat the oil and butter in an ovenproof shallow pan, and spend 5 mins browning the pigeons on all sides. Remove the pigeons and fry the bread on one side until crispy and golden, adding more butter to the pan if you need to.

  2. Turn the bread over and sit a pigeon on each slice of bread. Scatter the remaining herbs and garlic into the pan, and pour over the wine. Put the pan in the oven for 20 mins, then remove and leave to rest for 10 mins. Serve the pigeon straight from the pan with the bread.

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