Magescq pigeon with oriental spices, winegrower semolina & chickpeas

Grégory Ménard, chef at Terrae in the Basque Country, offers a recipe combining local produce, Magescq pigeon and Espelette pepper with a twist.

This recipe by Grégory Ménard, chef at Terrae restaurant in Cambo-les-Bains, is taken from the 2024 edition ofLivre 109: Le sang neuf de la gastronomie française. Discover the ingredients and preparation steps to make it a breeze.

Serves 6
Preparation time: 50 min
Cooking time: 1 h 45
Resting time: 12 h

Ingredients for Grégory Ménard 's pigeon with oriental spices

3 whole pigeons, 300 g each
1 organic, untreated lemon

For the semolina

250 g medium semolina
50 cl red wine
2.5 cl soy sauce
20 g butter
1 sprig thyme
1 clove garlic

For the hummus

200 g dried chickpeas
1 sprig thyme
7.5 cl olive oil
Espelette pepper
Cumin
Sal t

For the chickpea salad

100 g dried chickpeas
2 large shallots
olive oil
1 bunch coriander
Sal t

For the pigeon juice with spices

Pigeon carcasses
olive oil
1 glass red wine
1 onion
1 shallot
125 g butter
Cumin
Espelette pepper
Cinnamo n

For the dressing

100 g Kalamata olives
50 g roasted buckwheat or kasha

Steps for Grégory Ménard 's Pigeon aux épices d'Orient

Soak chickpeas in plenty of water the day before.
Houmous: cook the rehydrated chickpeas in unsalted water (salt makes cooking much longer) with the thyme. Add the salt three-quarters of the way through. Blend the chickpeas, adding the cooking water a little at a time, until you have a smooth paste. Continue blending, adding the olive oil and spices.
Fillet the pigeons and set aside.
Semoule vigneronne: in a saucepan, reduce the red wine by half with the soy sauce, butter, thyme and garlic. Pour the semolina into a bowl, moisten with the reduction and cover with cling film.
Chickpea salad: Cook the chickpeas as above. Chop the shallots and sweat without fat. When they become translucent, add the oil and cook over a very low heat.
Lemon confit: wrap the lemon in aluminum foil and bake for 45 min at 190°C. Finely dice the peel and add to the chickpea salad.
Pigeon jus: place the oil and crushed carcasses in a sauté pan over high heat. Allow to brown on all sides, then remove the fat. Add the butter and remove the juices from the bottom of the pan. Add the coarsely chopped onion and shallot, and allow to sweat. Add wine and reduce. Pour in almost all the water. Cook for 30 min until reduced. Roast the spices in the pan and add.
Presentation: Pan-fry or barbecue the pigeon fillets (it's even better!). Brush with the juices and top with halved olives. Arrange the semolina at the bottom of the plate, add dots of hummus and the chickpea salad. Serve the jus in a sauceboat.

For further information

Terrae, 7 avenue de la Mairie, 64250 Cambo-les-Bains
12.5/20 in the Livre des 109
Read Gault&Millau's review of Terrae

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