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Pigeon breast en croute

Pigeon Breast en Croute

An easy way to ensure that pigeon breasts don't dry out - Pigeon Breasts cooked in a pastry wrapper and topped with a mushroom duxelles remain moist and tender

Course Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine British
Keyword easy game, en-croute, game, pigeon, pigeon breast
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 220 kcal
Author Fiona Maclean

Ingredients

Duxellles

  • 250 g Mushrooms
  • 2 shallots
  • 50 g butter
  • A handful of fresh thyme leaves picked from the stalk

Pigeon Breasts

  • 4 pigeon breasts
  • Half a pack of puff pastry
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • Duxelles mixture

Instructions

Duxelles

  1. Chop the mushroom and shallots very finely.
  2. Melt the butter in a large frying pan.
  3. Add the shallots and cook gently for 10 minutes till transparent and soft.
  4. Turn the heat up to medium and add the mushrooms and thyme leaves.
  5. Continue to cook until the mixture reduces down and resembles a pate.
  6. Allow to cool.

Pigeon Breasts

  1. Season the pigeon breasts well with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the pigeon breasts. Sear on both sides for between 90 seconds. Remove from the pan and put to one side.
  3. Preheat the oven to 195C
  4. Roll out the pastry on a floured board.
  5. Cut rectangles which are around 1cm larger all round than each pigeon breast.
  6. For four pigeon breasts you will need eight rectangles of pastry.
  7. Lay out four of the rectangles and put a pigeon breast in the centre of each rectangles. Top each one with a teaspoon of mushroom duxelles.
  8. Beat the egg gently and use it to paint a border around each of the rectangles.
  9. Top each rectangle with a second one.
  10. Use a fork to crimp the edges of each one, then baste the pastry tops with egg glaze.
  11. Put the pastries on a well-greased baking tray and into the oven.
  12. Bake for 10 minutes at 195c until the pasties are golden brown.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Serve one per person as an appetiser or two for a main course