Pigeon, Banyuls Sauce and Foie Gras Recipe

Begin by preparing the pigeons. Slice down the centre of the bird and remove the innards, reserving the livers to add to the pâté. Remove the thighs on the bone and set aside, then carefully remove the breasts, leaving the wing bones attached to form the supremes

Trim the wings at the joint and discard the wing tips, then wrap each supreme in slices of pancetta until fully coated. Wrap them tightly in a layer of caul fat to form a tight, neat cylinder with the wing bones protruding and reserve until ready to cook

To start the pâté, dice the reserved pigeon livers and add to the chicken livers. Add the brandy, port, bay leaf and some seasoning and leave to marinate for 30 minutes

Meanwhile, prepare the Banyuls sauce. Combine the Banyuls wine, bay leaf, peppercorns and sugar in a pan and place over a medium heat. Simmer until the liquid has reduced to form a thick, syrupy sauce, then remove from the heat and keep warm until ready to serve

For the croquettes, debone the pigeon thighs and clean the bones, blanching in a pan of boiling water. Roughly chop the thigh meat and add to a bowl with the lardo and curry powder, mixing to combine

Soak the white bread in a little milk for a minute to soften, then add to the thigh meat and mix together. Pass the croquette mixture through a mincer or food processor to create a coarse mixture, seasoning generously

Divide the mixture into 8 even pieces and shape these into small balls. Place the plain flour, the beaten eggs and breadcrumbs in 3 separate shallow dishes and roll the balls first in the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs to coat. Insert a cleaned bone into each ball and reserve on a tray in the fridge until required

To finish the pâté, place a large frying pan over a medium heat and add a little butter. Once hot, add the marinated livers and sauté for a few minutes until cooked through, then remove the bay leaf from the pan

Remove the pan from the heat and mix through the butter and cream. Transfer the contents of the pan to a blender and blitz thoroughly for several minutes until the mixture is completely smooth. Reserve the pâté in the fridge until ready to serve

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4

Heat a dash of oil in a large frying pan and cook the rolled supremes for 6 minutes, turning over halfway through, until golden brown all over. Add the butter, garlic, rosemary and thyme to the pan and baste the supremes in the flavoured butter for a few more minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside to rest for 10 minutes before serving

Meanwhile, pour a 2cm layer of sunflower oil into a deep pan and place over a high heat. Once hot, fry the thigh croquettes in the oil for 5 minutes until golden, transferring to a baking tray and cooking in the oven for another 5 minutes

Add a knob of butter to a heavy-based pan and place over a medium heat. Dust the foie gras escalopes in a liberal layer of plain flour and add to the pan. Cook for 2–3 minutes each side, then remove from the pan and leave to rest until ready to serve

In a separate pan, add a knob of butter and quickly sauté the spinach leaves over a medium heat until just softened, coating continuously in the melted butter

When ready to serve, toast the slices of brioche, trim the edges and cut the pieces into 8 even rectangles. Warm through the Banyuls sauce if required, removing the bay leaf and peppercorns, and stir through a knob of butter until melted

Carve each supreme into 4 pieces – the pointed end, 2 middle medallions and the end piece with the wing bone. Slice each foie gras escalope in half and carefully top with the cacao nibs

To serve, spoon some of the Banyuls sauce onto each plate and arrange pieces of pigeon supreme, foie gras and a croquette across it. Place a buttered spinach leaf in the centre and a piece of toasted brioche to the side, topping with a quenelle of the pâté. Garnish with micro cress and a sprig of dark chocolate