Pan Seared Woodpigeon with English Asparagus and Broad Bean and Wild Mint Hummus
The all too short British asparagus season begins in May and there is not long to enjoy this fanastic crop.
Last May we discovered this delicious recipe from The British Larder by Madalene Bonvini-Hamel, which we think will would taste delicious after the Elderflower cocktail!
Serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a main course
For the broad bean and wild mint hummus
The hummus can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for three days
- 400g broad beans (shelled- frozen is fine)
- 100g cooked chick peas (drained weight)
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- A large handful of fresh mint leaves
- 1 lemon finely zested and the juice
- 1 teaspoon of ground sumac (optional if you don’t have it)
- 50ml rapeseed oil
- Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
For the woodpigeon and asparagus salad
- 2 heads of baby gem lettuce, washed, drained and each cut into quarters to the root (to keep together)
- 4 boneless (skin on) woodpigeon breasts
- ½ teaspoon of coriander seeds, crushed
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 teaspoon of freshly chopped thyme
- 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- A bunch of asparagus (250 grams)
- 1 teaspoon of olive oil
Fresh thyme flowers of pea tops to garnish
Hummus
Blanch the broad beans in a large pan of boiling water and drain. Pop the bright green beans out of their outer grey skins by squeezing gently. Discard the grey skins and separate half of the green beans in the fridge ready for the salad.
Place the rest of the broad beans, along with the remaining ingredients for the hummus, in a food processor and process until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Transfer to a bowl, cover and keep in the fridge until needed (for up to three days).
Woodpigeon and Asparagus Salad
For the woodpigeon salad, season the baby gem lettuce quarters with salt and pepper and set aside.
Season the woodpigeon breasts with salt and pepper, then scatter over the crushed coriander seeds, garlic and chopped thyme. Rub into the breasts.
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a frying pan and once the butter starts to foam, place the pigeon breasts, skin side down, in the pan and fry over a high heat for 2 minutes or until golden brown on the outside and pink in the middle. Turn the heat down if it gets too hot. Do not overcook.
Remove the breasts to a warm plate and leave to rest for 4 minutes.
Meanwhile, wipe the pan clean using kitchen paper, then return the pan to a high heat, add the remaining butter and once it has melted, fry the baby gem quarters for 2 minutes, turning halfway through.
In the meantime, remove the thick parts of the asparagus stems. Blanch the asparagus in a large pan of boiling salted water for 2 minutes, then drain and place in a dish. Drizzle over olive oil and season.
To serve
Spoon some (divide by the number of plates) hummus on to each plate and flatten with a spoon.
Arrange the pan-fried baby gem quarters with the warm asparagus and remaining chilled broad beans on the plates, then add the warm pigeon breasts.
Scatter over the thyme flowers or pea tops if using and spoon over pan juices.
