WOOD PIGEON BRUSCHETTA
Ingredients
- 100g/3½oz butter
- 2 pears
- peeled
- cores removed
- sliced widthways
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp demerara sugar
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
- 4 pigeon breasts
- skin removed
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tbsp smoked bacon lardons
- fried until crisp and golden-brown
- 4 thin slices baguette
- grilled until crisp and golden-brown
- 4 small handfuls baby watercress leaves
Directions
- Heat half of the butter in a pan over a medium to high heat. When the butter is foaming
- add the pears. Season
- to taste
- with salt and freshly ground black pepper
- then stir well to coat the pears in the butter.
- Add the sugar and stir until the sugar has dissolved and caramelised and has coated the pears.
- Meanwhile
- heat the oil and the remaining butter in a separate frying pan. When the butter is foaming
- add the pigeon breasts and fry for 1-2 minutes on each side. Season
- to taste
- with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Add the thyme and cooked bacon and continue to cook for a further 2-3 minutes
- or until the pigeon breasts are browned on all sides and cooked to your liking and the bacon has warmed through.
- To serve
- place one slice of grilled baguette into the centre of each of four serving plates. Place a handful of baby watercress leaves on top of each. Spoon over some of the pears
- then the pigeon and bacon mixture.

