Rachel Khoo: hot bird

Wood pigeon is one of the tastiest birds around. The breast is perfect for quick cooking, packed with flavour and best served pink after a quick sear on both sides. I threw this salad together for an easy Sunday supper when a roast just seemed too laborious and it went down a treat.

Warm pigeon breast salad

Serves 4

4 wood pigeon breasts

400g potatoes (ideally Charlotte)

Salt and black pepper

3 medium beetroots

3 tbsp olive oil

8 sage leaves

2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

100g salad leaves

150g Stilton

Remove the pigeon breasts from the fridge to warm to room temperature. Scrub the potatoes and cut into 2cm cubes. Place in a saucepan and cover with salted water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes or until tender but still holding their shape well when prodded with a knife. Drain.

In the meantime, peel the beetroots and cut into rough cubes. Place in a separate pan of salted water, bring to the boil and simmer for approximately 20-25 minutes or until very soft. Drain and leave to cool.

Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a large frying pan on medium-high. Add the potato cubes to the frying pan with the sage leaves and cook for 15 minutes with plenty of salt and pepper. Toss regularly to brown them evenly; you want them to become golden and crispy.

Place the cooled beetroot cubes in a food processor with the vinegar and season. Blitz to a purée and check the seasoning. Add more vinegar if required.

Season the pigeon breasts generously on both sides. Return the frying pan to the heat with the remaining olive oil. Once the oil is sizzling hot, add the pigeon breasts, skin side down. Press the skin down into the pan if it curls up slightly. Cook the breasts for 3 minutes, before turning over and cooking for a further 2 minutes on the other side. Place on a board to rest for 3 minutes while assembling the rest of the salad.

Place a large blob of beetroot purée on each plate. Arrange the salad leaves on top, crumble the Stilton over the plates and add the potato cubes. Slice the pigeon breasts and lay on top. Garnish with the crispy sage leaves and serve immediately.