VERY Easy Ways with Game
These are a couple of techniques we use when we want a quick meal.
You could apply them to any suitable type of game, or other meats.
We got a pair of superb venison fillets from Chanctonbury Game (see
Local Suppliers), pan fried them, then
removed them and kept them warm. Next we made up some gravy powder
with less water than the instructions suggest, and added it with a splash of
Merry Andrew to the pan. We let it cook for a while to deglaze the pan
and reduce slightly and then poured it over the fillets, serving them with
rice and a couple of veg.
We've listed the next technique more fully, but it takes hardly any more
time.
Preparation Time: 10-15 minutes Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes
Ingredients:
* 2oz/55g oatmeal (flour might be more usual, but the little crunchy bits of oatmeal make a nice contrast in texture)
* 2 tablespoons/35ml rapeseed oil (or olive oil)
* 4 teaspoons gravy granules (any type you like)
* ½ pint/275ml boiling water
* ¼ pint/125ml Merry Andrew
Cooked veg of your choice to serve with the dish
* To make enough for four servings just double the quantities where the symbol * appears next to them.
Method:
Wash and pat dry the pigeon breasts, then roll them in the oatmeal.
(Most recipes recommend using beaten egg to bind the coating to the meat,
but we found it doesn't help much with oatmeal. If the pigeon breasts
are still slightly damp from the washing it works well enough.)
Heat the oil in a pan then drop in the pigeon breasts and fry for 3
minutes each side at a high heat to seal them. Then reduce the heat to
medium and continue to cook, turning occasionally, until the pigeon breasts
are done. This takes about 10 minutes but it depends on the thickness
of the pieces - if you are unsure, cut one open to check it is cooked
through. Remove the pigeon breasts from the pan and keep warm.
Make
up the gravy granules in a jug with the boiling water, pour into the pan in
which the pigeon breasts were fried, add the Merry Andrew, and simmer about
3 minutes or until the sauce is reduced to the desired consistency.
(We like to thoroughly deglaze the pan to ensure all the nice little bits of
oatmeal are picked up in the sauce.)
To serve, put the pigeon breasts on plates with the vegetables of your
choice and pour over the gravy. To avoid any fights over who gets the
rest of the Merry Andrew, open another bottle to accompany the meal!
