Chef’s Recipe : Wild Pigeon with Black Cherries from Guillaume Gillan at Bokan 37

Bokan 37 is a magnificent the dockside restaurant for artisanal food and drink, made using a mixture of local, ancient and adopted British ingredients, in Canary Wharf. It offers a menu full of stand-out dishes. Here is just one, from their ever-changing seasonal menu, for the confident chef to try at home.

Wild pigeon, black cherries, kohlrabi, black pudding, tarragon

For the kohlrabi swirl :

• 500g kohlrabi
• 200g black pudding salami
• 500ml water
• 50g salt

Peel the kohlrabi, then use a Japanese mandoline to slice thin sheets of kohlrabi and black pudding salami, then roll together until you have a roll the size of a raw piece of kohlrabi.

Roll in cling film until you get a nice, even roll, and then puncture with a toothpick to create small holes. Mix the water and salt to create a brine, then place the rolls in the brine for 20 minutes.

For the black pudding purée :

• 500g black pudding
• 500g cherries
• 100g butter
• 200g water
• 5g squid ink
• 10g salt
• 8g black pepper
• 1g xanthan

Dice the black pudding and cherries, then cook in the butter until soft. Blend with the water and xanthan until you have a smooth purée. Season and add the squid ink for colour.

For the tarragon foam :

• 1 bunch tarragon
• 1 litre whole milk
• 10g salt

Boil the milk with the tarragon and salt. Infuse for 30 minutes, blend and then pass through a chinois. Allow to cool to 60°C, then use a hand blender to whizz up into a foam.

For the pigeon jus :

• 2.5kg chicken wings
• 2.5kg pigeon bones
• 1 bunch tarragon
• 500g cherries
• 500g shallots
• 250g butter
• 2.5 litres chicken stock

Break the bones and wings, then peel the shallots and cut to the same size as the bones. Heat the oven to 220°C, then heat baking trays in the oven with grapeseed oil. Add the bones and wings, and cook until they turn golden.

Add the shallots and cherries, cook for 2 minutes, then add the butter and tarragon.

Transfer everything to a big pot and cover with chicken stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and cook for 35 minutes. Pass through a chinois and reduce until at a syrup consistency.

For the pigeon coffre :

• 1 coffre (pigeon breast on the bone)
• 1 stalk tarragon

Season the coffre, then place in a vacuum bag with the tarragon. Cook in steamer oven at 80°c for 3 minutes, then to finish, cook in the Josper on all the sides for smokiness.

For the pigeon leg confit :

• 2 pigeon legs
• 100g butter

Colour the legs then confit them in the butter – place in a pan with the butter, and cook for 2 hours at 95°C. Carefully remove from the butter once cooked. While the legs are still warm, shred them and set meat aside. Reserve the bones for decoration.

For the black pudding ball :

• 200g confit pigeon leg meat
• 100g black pudding
• 100g cherries
• 25g tarragon, chopped
• 25g shallot, chopped
• 5g salt
• 5g pepper
• 50g pigeon jus
• Breadcrumbs, egg yolk and flour – to coat

Crush the cherries and the black pudding and mix with the confit duck leg, shallot, tarragon and pigeon jus. Roll into 30g balls, then coat each in flour, then egg yolk, then breadcrumbs. Cook in a deep fat fryer set to 170°C.

When you are ready, plate up all of the elements and serve.

Alternatively, dine at Bokan 37, where this dish is featured at time of publication on the main course a la carte for £28 pp. Vegans and vegetarians also well catered for. Dine with the Luxury Restaurant Club to access exclusive dining privileges at over 500 of the UK’s top restaurants. At Bokan 37, enjoy 15% of your total food and drinks bill. Download the Luxury Restaurant Guide app for free here and follow steps to join the Club.

Bokan 37, Floor 37-39, 40 Marsh Wall, London E14 9TP