Recipe courtesy of Hello Magazine.

An innovative starter.  Prunes and sweet potatoes balance the richness of the pigeon and the dressing has a secret ingredient – chocolate !

Serves : 4

Ingredients :
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 spring onion, trimmed and chopped
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
1 handful of coriander leaves, chopped
4 pigeon breasts, previously marinated for several hours in red wine, chopped shallots and crushed garlic
250ml / 9 fl oz hazelnut oil
50g / 2 oz chocolate buttons
12 pitted prunes
Dash of balsamic vinegar
12 orange segments

Method :

Preheat the oven to 200oC / 400oF / Gas Mark 6.  Put the sweet potatoes in a roasting tin with the spring onion, cayenne, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Cover with foil and cook in the oven for 45 minutes or until tender.  Mash and stir in the chopped coriander.

Season the pigeon breasts and sear in a hot pan with a dash of oil.  Lower the heat and continue to cook until done to your liking or transfer to the oven to finish cooking.

Put the hazelnut oil, 50ml (2 fl oz) olive oil and the chocolate buttons in a pan and slowly warm until the chocolate melts and starts to infuse with the oil.

Warm the prunes in a pan with a dash of balsamic vinegar and season lightly.

To serve, place the prunes in the centre of the serving plates and top with the sweet potato puree.  Slice the pigeon breasts and place over the sweet potato with the orange segments.   Drizzle the chocolate oil around and serve.