Pigeon Casserole With Apples And Cider Food

PIGEON CASSEROLE IN RED WINE SAUCE

Steps:

• Fry the diced bacon for 2 minutes, add the butter (I used 1oz of butter and a dash of olive oil) and the pigeons and brown quickly on all sides.
• Remove and add the chopped vegetables, herbs, salt, freshly ground pepper and flour. Mix well.
• Replace the birds, pour on the stock and the wine, bring to the boil and simmer very gently for 1 1/2 hours, until the birds are tender.
• Serve with red currant jelly.

PARTRIDGE IN CIDER WITH APPLES & CELERY

Steps:

• Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Place a large frying pan over a medium heat and pour in 1 tbsp of the oil. Dust the partridges in the flour and fry until evenly browned all over. Remove from the pan and drain on a piece of kitchen paper.
• Put a large casserole dish on the heat. Pour in the remaining oil, add the lardons and cook until the fat has rendered out and the lardons are crisp. Add the onion and celery to the pan and sweat down until soft. Stir in the apples to soften a little. Add the thyme, sage and the partridges, then pour over the cider and chicken stock and bring to the boil. Cover and transfer to the oven for 25 mins or until the thigh meat is cooked through and will come away from the bone, and the sauce has reduced and thickened. Remove from the oven and serve with the Smoked butter mash (see 'Goes well with').

NORMANDY PORK WITH APPLES & CIDER

Steps:

• Heat half the oil in a large pan and brown the meat in batches. Don't overcrowd the pan, and only turn the meat when it has a deep brown crust on the underside, as this will add lots of flavour to the stew. When one batch is cooked, tip it into the slow cooker and continue with the next batch, adding more oil as you need it.
• When all the meat has been transferred to the slow cooker, add the onion, carrots and celery to the pan and cook for 5-10 mins to just soften, scraping any meaty bits up from the bottom of the pan. Tip the veg into the slow cooker. Add the lardons to the pan and fry until crispy. Pour in the cider, bubble for 1 min, again scraping the bottom of the pan, then tip the cider and lardons into the slow cooker too. Add the apples, stock cube and herbs to the slow cooker, pour in 400ml water, season well and turn the heat to Low. Cover with the lid and cook for 6-8 hrs until the meat is very tender. (If you don't have a slow cooker, tip all the ingredients back into the pan, cover with a lid and cook for 3 hrs over a low heat, stirring every now and then to prevent it from catching on the bottom. You may have to add a splash of water during cooking if the sauce looks dry.)
• Turn your slow cooker up to High. Add the crème fraîche and mustard to the stew and check the seasoning. If the sauce is thin, you can thicken it with the cornflour - ladle 2 spoonfuls of the sauce into a pan and bring to a simmer, mix the cornflour with 1-2 tsp cold water to make a paste, then stir it into the sauce. Once thickened, return the sauce to the slow cooker and cook for 10 mins more on High, stirring occasionally (or for 5 mins on the hob). Serve with mashed potato, greens and extra mustard and thyme, if you like.

BRAISED RED CABBAGE WITH CIDER & APPLES

Steps:

• Peel off the outer leaves from the cabbage and discard. Quarter the cabbage, removing the tough stem, then thinly slice. Arrange a layer of the cabbage on the bottom of a large saucepan, followed by some of the onions, apples, zest, mixed spice, sugar and seasoning. Continue to create layers until you have used up the ingredients.
• Pour over the vinegar and cider and dot the butter on top. Bring to the boil then simmer with a lid on over low heat for 1½ hrs, until tender. The cabbage will keep for 2 days, covered, in the fridge or freeze for up to 1 month. Reheat in either a pan or in the microwave.