Pan-roasted wood pigeon breast with parsnip purée, pickled beetroot and baby turnips, finished with a game sauce – by Steve Evans

Ingredients
(Serves four)

For the pigeon 4 wild wood pigeons
10 shallots
4 garlic cloves
2 sticks celery, chopped
1 bunch thyme
1tbs redcurrant jelly
1tbs tomato purée
300ml red wine
300ml water
Salt and pepper
40ml olive oil

For the purée 2 large English parsnips
Cream

For the baby turnips 8 baby turnips
Milk

Method Remove the breasts from the carcass. Roast off the carcass with shallots, garlic, celery and thyme until browned. Put in a heavy-bottomed pan with tomato purée, red wine, jelly and water.
Bring to the boil, simmer and remove scum from the surface. Reduce by about three-quarters. Pass through a fine chinoise, season and reserve.
Cook one parsnip in boiling water, blend to a purée and finish with a little cream.
Slice the other parsnip like potato crisps on a mandolin and deep-fry until crisp. Reserve for garnish.
Cook the baby turnips in milk to keep colour. Pan-roast pigeon breasts in a little olive oil so they remain pink on the inside. Leave to rest and slice lengthways. Make a timbale with the purée, add the turnips, then the pigeon. Finish with the sauce.

Steve Evans, head chef, Gomersal Park hotel, West Yorkshire