Ingredients

• 4 garlic cloves
• sliced
• ½tsp picked thyme leaves
• 6 black peppercorns
• crushed
• 4 tbsp cold-pressed rapeseed oil
• 8 wood pigeon breasts
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 200ml red wine
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 6 juniper berries
• lightly crushed
• 12 baby leeks
• trimmed
• 1 tbsp butter
• handful wood ear mushrooms
• sliced
• 15-20 wild brown closed-cup mushrooms
• sliced
• 1 garlic clove
• finely chopped
• 2 tbsp cold-pressed rapeseed oil
• salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

• Pre-heat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.
• Combine the garlic
• thyme
• black peppercorns and rapeseed oil in a small bowl. Using a sharp knife
• score the pigeon breasts' skin lightly and rub in the marinade - leave for at least 20 minutes.
• To make the gravy
• combine the sugar and a few drops of water in a smallish
• very clean saucepan and place over a high heat to caramelise. Once the sugar melts and has gone a dark golden brown
• pour in the red wine. Add the thyme and the juniper berries. Cook the sauce until it is reduced by two thirds - this will take about 12-15 minutes. Season to taste
• strain and keep warm.
• Place the leeks in a saucepan of boiling
• salted water and blanch for 10 seconds. With a pair of tongs
• remove the leeks from the boiling water and plunge into a bowl of ice-cold water. When they have cooled
• drain the leeks well.
• Place the leeks in an ovenproof saucepan or baking sheet with a knob of butter. Transfer to the hot oven and cook until tender - this should take about 10-15 minutes.
• Heat a griddle pan until hot. Season the pigeon breasts with salt and freshly ground pepper and place on the hot griddle pan. Cook for just a few minutes on each side until cooked to your liking
• then remove from the heat and set aside in a warm place for at least five minutes.
• For the mushrooms
• heat a small frying pan. When hot
• add the rapeseed oil and fry the garlic until golden brown. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until softened. Be careful - the wood-ear mushrooms can pop and splutter quite ferociously.
• Serve the pigeon with the leeks
• mushrooms
• and a drizzle of the red wine gravy.