Woodpigeon are at their best in the late summer/early autumn, when they are plump from a season's feeding.
If you take the breasts off (saving the carcasses for stock or potted pigeon), they take minutes to pan-fry in a hot pan, making them perfect fast, camp food.
Enjoy them for breakfast with coffee and eggs (if you have some) or use them in this salad.
Salad leaves like hairy bittercress, watercress, pennywort, chickweed and sorrel are plentiful in the late summer, and provide essential roughage and vitamins.
At home, you can substitute rocket or other salad leaves. This recipe is also delicious made with duck breasts.
Feeds 4-6
1. Halve the beetroot and slice each half into small wedges. Parboil in salted water for 15–20 minutes until just cooked.
2. Heat the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan on a fairly high heat and add the drained beetroot wedges.
3. Season with salt and pepper, and sauté until they start caramelising - this will take about 10 minutes.
4. Turn the heat right up and add the pigeon breasts to the pan (and a little more butter if the pan looks dry). Cook them for 1–2 minutes a side.
5. When you think they are cooked, prod them: they should still be a little pink and squidgy in the middle, as overcooking game makes it dry and tough to eat.
6. Remove the pigeon and beetroot from the heat. Then rest the meat for five minutes while you make the salad dressing.
7. Mix all the dressing ingredients together in an old jam jar, together with any pan juices.
8. Slice the pigeon and toss with the beetroot, nuts, herbs, leaves and dressing.
The Wild Gourmets: Adventures in Food and Freedom by Guy Grieve, Thomasina Miers, published by Bloomsbury. RRP £20.
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