Pigeon with walnut, pear and pecorino salad

This pigeon recipe skillfully combines the game flavour with the strong hard cheese, earthy walnuts and sweet pear to create a dish with a strong taste that is filling yet light.

Ingredients:

• A couple of good slugs of walnut oil
• A slug of balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of wholegrain mustard
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 bag of rocket and watercress
• 1 conference pear
• Pecorino Romano, as many shavings as you fancy
• A handful of walnuts, halved and roasted
• 1 large knob of butter
• 4 pigeon breasts

Method:

For the salad:
Pour the walnut oil into a mug and then beat in the vinegar with a fork until well mixed. Add in the wholegrain mustard and seasoning and mix again. Put the leaves in a bowl, slice on to them the pear, leaving its skin on, add the shavings of pecorino and mix in the walnuts.

For the pigeon:
Heat the butter in a heavy-based frying pan until frothy and sear the pigeon breasts for one minute or so on each side. Remove from the heat and leave to stand for two minutes. Slice diagonally.

To serve:
Toss the salad with the dressing and put as much salad as desired on to two plates. Arrange the pigeon breasts carefully on top of the salad and drizzle a bit more of the dressing over the meat. Enjoy.