Ingredients

• 4 squab pigeons
• cleaned
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 garlic cloves
• halved
• 60g/2oz unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 8 baby leeks
• 60g/2oz unsalted butter
• 200g/7oz shallots
• finely chopped
• 200g/7oz mixed wild mushrooms
• cleaned
• 50ml/2fl oz Madeira
• 110ml/4fl oz chicken stock
• 75-110ml/3-4fl oz double cream
• 1 tsp finely chopped fresh chervil
• 400g/14oz King Edward potatoes
• peeled
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 110g/4oz shallots
• finely sliced
• 150g/5oz smoked streaky bacon
• cut into lardons
• 50g/2oz clarified butter
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 210C/425F/Gas 7.
• Season the cavities of the pigeons with salt and freshly ground black pepper and place a sprig of thyme and a half a garlic clove inside each one.
• Heat an ovenproof frying pan until smoking
• add the butter and the oil and heat until the butter is foaming. Add the pigeons and fry on both sides for 1-2 minutes
• or until just golden-brown all over. Place the pan into the oven and roast for 7-8 minutes
• or until the pigeons are a deep golden-brown and cooked through. Remove the pigeons from the oven
• cover with aluminium foil and leave to rest for ten minutes.
• For the baby leeks
• bring a pan of salted water to the boil
• add the leeks and cook for 2-3 minutes
• or until just tender. Drain and keep warm.
• For the mushroom fricassée
• melt two-thirds of the butter in a frying pan until foaming
• then add the shallots and cook for 2-3 minutes
• or until just softened. Add the wild mushrooms and sweat for another minute
• or until softened.
• Add the Madeira to the pan and simmer for 4-5 minutes
• or until the liquid has reduced by half. Add the chicken stock and reduce again by half.
• Stir in the cream and whisk in the remaining butter until smooth and creamy
• then season
• to taste
• with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir in the chopped chervil and keep warm.
• For the rösti galettes
• grate the potatoes into a clean tea towel and then squeeze out all of the excess moisture.
• Heat a frying pan until smoking
• add the oil and shallots and cook for one minute
• or until softened but not coloured. Add the bacon lardons and fry for another 1-2 minutes
• or until the bacon is golden-brown and crisp.
• Add the grated potatoes to the pan and mix well. Stir in the clarified butter
• reserving 1-2 tablespoons
• then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Heat a large frying pan until hot
• add the reserved clarified butter and place four metal 8-10cm/3-4in chefs' rings into the pan. Press the potato mixture into the rings and fry for 2-3 minutes
• then
• using a spatula
• carefully turn the chefs' ring over and fry the rösti on the other side for a further 2-3 minutes (if needed
• press the rösti down with the spatula so that it touches the pan)
• or until golden-brown on both sides and tender all the way through. Remove the potato galettes from the rings and place onto a tray with a clean tea towel underneath to drain off excess fat.
• To serve
• carve the breast and legs from each pigeon. Place a rösti galettes into the centre of each of four warmed serving plates
• then arrange the pigeon breast and legs on top. Place the baby leeks next to the galette
• then spoon the wild mushroom fricassée over and around.