Seasonal recipe of the week – roasted wigeon by Neil Churchill
Our seasonal recipe of the week for roasted wigeon with beetroot vinaigrette and black truffle comes courtesy of Neil Churchill, head chef at Boisdale of Bishopgate, London.
INGREDIENTS
(Serves four)
â- 4 slices sourdough bread
â- 4 diced shallots
â- 1 bay leaf
â- Young watercress to garnish
â- 30ml hazelnut oil
â- 100ml extra virgin olive oil plus60ml for the sourdough bread
â- 30ml mild olive oil for the offal plus20ml for the wigeon
â- 25g butter
â- 1 small black truffle
â- Pinch cayenne pepper
â- 1 medium beetroot (cooked)
â- 50ml cider vinegar
â- 60g roasted hazelnuts
â- 1 clove of garlic
â- 1 blood orange
â- Salt and pepper
METHOD Preheat oven to 180oC. Remove and lightly wash the offal from the birds. Sauté the offal in butter, then add the shallots, bay leaf, mild olive oil and hazelnut oil and simmer for 40 minutes. Pass through a sieve to get a pÁ¢té or paste consistency. Season with salt and cayenne pepper.
Dice the beetroot into 0.5cm cubes, add cider vinegar, juice of a blood orange and extra virgin olive oil. Season and set aside.
Season the widgeon with salt and pepper (including the inside of the bird). Brush with butter or oil, then brown the birds in a frying pan over a medium heat. Transfer to the preheated oven, and cook for 8 minutes. Remove the birds and rest them for 5 minutes in a warm place.
Rub the sourdough with extra virgin olive oil, toast it, then rub it with garlic. Cut the sourdough toast to the size of a widgeon breast. Spread the pÁ¢té mixture liberally on the toast. Remove the breasts and legs from the birds, and place one breast and one leg on each toast.
Finally dress the plate with young watercress, chopped hazelnuts and beetroot vinaigrette. Shave black truffle over the top and serve.
Neil Churchill, head chef, Boisdale of Bishopsgate, London
RECOMMENDED WINE
With this dish you have lots of autumnal flavours, gamey meat, earthy truffle and sweet dark beetroot, so an older wine would be a good choice to match it.
Try something from Italy - either a Piedmontese Nebbiolo from Barolo of Barbaresco, or a Tuscan Sangiovese from a good vintage such as 1998, which will have soft and mature tannins, forest floor aromas and bright acidity.
http://www.ronansayburn.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Ronan Sayburn MS is director of wine and spirits at Hotel du Vin
