Serves 4

Ingredients

2 brace woodpigeon    
Sprig fresh thyme
Whirl      
2tbs redcurrant jelly
20ml Madeira    
Heather sprig
15ml red wine    
4 shortcrust tartlet cases (suggest buy in)
15ml port     
4 rashers pancetta or smoked streaky bacon
Beef stock     
1 small celeriac peeled and diced  
75g unsalted butter well chilled  
50g butter
6 juniper berries    
250ml cream
2 bay leaves

Method

Cook the celeriac in boiling salted water until tender; drain and whizz in a food processor with cream and butter and season.

Grill the pancetta until crisp and reserve.

Heat a sauté pan with a little melted butter and oil. Sauté the pigeon breasts skin side down for 3 minutes, turn and cook the other side for the same time. Remove, season and keep warm.

Add the Madeira, red wine and port to the pan with the juniper berries, bay leaves, thyme and red currant jelly and reduce by half.

Add the stock and reduce by half again.

Add the butter and shake the pan to amalgamate well.  Season.

Re-heat the pigeon breasts, remove the skin and slice onto plates and strain the sauce over.

Garnish with heather sprig.

Courtesy of The Rose and Crown at Romaldkirk, County Durham