Pan Fried Pigeon Breasts with Orange Zest Sauce

Serves 2

2 Whole Pigeons
Unsalted Butter
Oil
1 Onion, chopped finely
1 Carrot, diced
1 Clove garlic, chopped
2 Oranges for their grated Zest and Juice
Lemon Juice
1 Fresh Bay Leaf
(Carrot, Onion, Peppercorns and Bay Leaf for a stock)

1] Remove the breasts from the birds (Try and keep the skin intact on the breasts). Put the remains in a pot with some Onion, Carrot, Peppercorns and a Bay Leaf to get a stock going. (The stock can be used to enhance your sauce later if you like).

2] Heat some Oil and Butter over a low heat and sweat the Onions and Carrots off until they soften. Add the Garlic near the end of this process to cook through a little. (I had the oven on, so I roasted the Garlic and just squeezed the Garlic out of the cloves into the Onions).

3] Zest and juice the Oranges and add to the Onions with a dash of Lemon Juice and the Bay Leaf. Gently simmer until it reduces to a good sauce for the Pigeon.

4] Heat a little oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and crack some pepper in. This seasons and also tells you when the oil is hot enough as you will see bubbles around the pepper. Lay the Pigoen in gently and fry for two minutes each side. Use your fingers to test for doneness, then take them out of the pan and let them rest in a warm oven.

5] Finish off your sauce and serve with whatever veg you like.

I roasted off a Squash and steamed some Cabbage, good earthy flavours to go with the Pigeon.