Pigeon with Peas and Lovage : Rachel Green Recipe

Rachel Green cooks pigeon with peas and lovage.

4 pigeons, jointed into breast & thighs
Rapeseed oil, for frying
60g butter
100g streaky bacon lardons
4 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
350g frozen peas
A small handful of wild garlic leaves or 3 cloves of green new season garlic, crushed
1 tsp sugar
1 heaped teaspoon flour, for thickening
A good dash of white wine
150ml - 200ml chicken stock
6 spring onions, finely sliced
1 little gem lettuce
1 tbsp lovage, chopped
Sea salt and black pepper

Season the pigeon pieces with sea salt and black pepper.
Melt half of the butter and rape seed oil in a large saucepan, and gently cook the pigeon thighs skin side down for 4 minutes each side. Then add the pigeon breast skin side down and cook for 2-3 minutes each side until golden, but the breast is still pink. Set aside, keeping the pigeon warm.
In a small frying pan, heat the rape seed oil and remaining butter, and gently fry the bacon lardons and shallots until browned.
Add the peas and season with sea salt and black pepper, cook for 2 minutes and add the wild garlic leaves or garlic cloves, sugar and flour and cook for a further 30 seconds.
Add the white wine and chicken stock to cover the peas, simmer for 3-5 minutes until the peas are tender.
Add the spring onions, lettuce and lovage to the peas and bring to the boil.
Serve the pigeon pink with new potatoes and spoon over the pea and lovage sauce.
Note: You can just use the pigeon breasts if you don’t want to use the leg and the thighs

Serves 4