Wood pigeon

4 crowns wood pigeon, cleaned & trimmed

Aubergine purée
4 aubergines
1 clove garlic, sliced
2 sprigs thyme
50ml cream
20g harissa
Lemon juice

Pistachio boudin blanc
2 chicken breasts, all fat & sinew removed
2 egg whites
200ml cream
50g green pistachios

To serve
1 butternut squash
1 bay leaf
4 baby aubergines
4 spring onions, trimmed
Porridge oats, toasted
Pigeon jus
Sliced smoked garlic
Green pistachios, finely chopped

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Aubergine & harissa puree, butternut squash fondant, pistachio boudin blanc

Serves 4

Cook the pigeon crowns in a water bath at 58˚C for 30 minutes.

For the aubergine purée, slice the aubergines in half, score and season the flesh, and scatter with garlic slices and thyme. Bake at 160˚C for 90 minutes, then scoop out the flesh and cook in a pan to take out excess water. Add the cream and harissa paste and blend to a purée, adjusting the consistency with cream and finishing with lemon juice as needed.

For the Pistachio Boudin, dice the two chicken breasts and freeze in a PacoJet container with the egg whites, cream, pistachios and seasoning for 24 hours. Pacotize and pass through a drum sieve. Roll out into 1cm thick sausages and steam for 6 minutes.

For the fondant butternut squash, cut out 2cm thick cylinders of squash and cook with butter and a bay leaf at 90˚C for 30 minutes in the water bath. Gently colour in butter in a pan.

Halve and roast the baby aubergines in the oven at 180˚C for 8 minutes.

To serve, blanch the spring onion for 30 seconds. Pan fry the pigeon crowns until golden, then carve off the breasts per portion. Warm through the other elements and assemble on the plate, scattering toasted oats on the aubergine purée. Add the smoked garlic to the pigeon jus and pour over the plate, then dust the dish with the chopped pistachios.