Method

Serves 4

 

For the Pigeon 

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. In a roasting tray add the cut vegetables with the rosemary. Put a clove of the garlic and a bay leaf inside each pigeon. In a frypan add olive oil and sear each pigeon until it is light gold in colour. Place the pigeons on the vegetables and roast in the oven for 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Divide pigeon into half lengthwise.

 

For the Vin Santo sauce 

1. Place vegetables in a pot and sauté until soft, deglaze with the Vin Santo or sweet wine. Add the chicken stock and reduce it by half over a moderate heat. Strain through a sieve and reduce until you are left with about a cup of sauce.

 

For the Cottechino 

1. Place the cottechino and bay leaves into a pot and cover them with water, bring the pot to the boil, reduce the heat and gently simmer for 1 hour topping it up with water if necessary. Take cotecchino out of liquid (reserving liquid), remove skin and return to liquid to store.

 

For the Split Peas 

1. Pod the peas and place them into a pot of boiling water for 1 minute. Once removed from the water, place under running cold water until cool. Remove the shell from each of pea and keep the flesh aside.

 

2. Heat olive oil in a pot and sauté the onions, garlic and pancetta for 2-3 minutes, then add in the mint leaves and peas. Pour in the chicken stock. Allow to cook to for 5 minutes over a moderate heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.

 

To serve 

1. Place a spoonful of the peas in the centre of the plate. Cut a 5mm slice from the cottechino sausage and place it on top of the peas. Heat the pigeon and arrange the pigeon over the cottechino and pour a little sauce over the top of the pigeons and around the plate. Then finish it off with a thin slice of truffle.

This recipe is provided care of this sponsor and is not an official MasterChef Australia recipe.