Double-breasted pigeon with red pepper pesto and herb omelette

Double-breasted pigeon with red pepper pesto and herb omelette

“IOn November 16, 1992, an arson fire destroyed the collection of fine spirits of the Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence.

Century-old Armagnac and Bas-Armagnac were lost. For me, it was a time to mourn equal in loss to the destruction of a painting by Gherardo delle Notti at the nearby Uffizi in a terrorist attack the following May.

Pinchiorri paid dearly for the conquest of the third Michelin star given to him a few days earlier. (He would lose it and then got it back again continuously from 2004, the only instance outside of France). I have known Giorgio and Annie Feolde, queen of his kitchen, for over thirty years. Going to dinner at their place is an event, also, and above all, for the pairings with fantastic wines.

Elegance equal to quality: out of the ordinary. When I started producing wine, Giorgio was the first to encourage me, even on the less expensive wines. Seeing Annie's dishes paired with our best products is an understandable emotion.”

Bruno Vespa

the recipe

Ingredients for 4 persons

2 pigeons

For the Bell Pepper Pesto

5 red bell peppers
10 g toasted pine nuts
20 g Parmigiano reggiano
5 basil leaves
4 tomato sliced, seeds and pulp removed
3 g lemon juice

For the herb omelette

3 eggs
100 g of white potato
6 fresh oregano leaves
3 g parsley
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preparation

1. Clean and sear the pigeons; separate the breasts from the thighs.
2. Bone the 2 thighs and cook them at 70 degrees for 3 hours in a casserole dish with plenty of extra virgin olive oil.
3. Cool and brown in a fry pan skin side down until they are nice and crunchy.
4. Salt and pepper the pigeon breasts, couple them and give them a nice cylindrical shape using some cooking film and then vacuum-seal them and cook in the steam oven for 3 hours at 62 degrees; After which, cool and then roast them.

For the Bell Pepper Pesto
1. Wash the peppers, spread them on a baking sheet and roast at 170 degrees for 30 minutes. Once cool, remove the skin and any seeds.
2. Now prepare the pesto: blend the pepper slices, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, tomato slices, lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil; add salt and pepper to taste.

For the herb omelettes
1. Cube the potato and blanch in boiling water, let cool.
Meanwhile, in a bowl, break in the eggs, add salt and pepper, add a julienned basil leaf, coarsely chopped parsley, chopped oregano and the potato cubes.
2. Pour the mixture into a hot non-stick pan with a drizzle of olive oil and cook the omelette, keeping it soft.

Presentation

Arrange a warm pigeon breast with its corresponding thigh on a plate; spread a generous spoonful of pepper pesto next to it along with the herb omelette.