Pigeon bitterballen

	The pigeon legs
	Duck or goose fat
2 cloves	garlic
2	bay leaves
25 grams	butter
25 grams	flour
150 grams	poultry broth
	Balsamic vinegar

Season the pigeon legs all around with salt and transfer them into a pan. Now submerge the legs completely with melted goose fat or duck fat and also add the garlic that's cut in half and the bay leaves. Then bring this to a simmer, then turn down the heat and let it confit for around 2 hours. The legs are cooked when the meat falls off the bone. Then take the legs out of the fat and pass the fat through a fine sieve. You can reuse it for another recipe. After that clean the legs by removing the bones, skin and any other unwanted parts. Now chop the cleaned meat into small even pieces and keep it aside for later. After that melt the butter in a saucepan and once it’s melted add the flour. Cook the flour while stirring on a medium heat for around 2 minutes. Then in 4 parts slowly add the poultry broth and bring it to a boil every time you add a part of the broth. When it’s binded add the cleaned pigeon meat and mix it well. Now season it with balsamic vinegar and salt and then transfer it into a piping bag that’s fitted with a round nozzle. Once that’s done fill a medium sized sphere mold with the filling and level it with a pallet knife. To complete the grain look I trimmed some dried whole grains and pressed them in the filling. This is purely done for presentation, so it’s optional. Let the filling freeze till solid. Meanwhile we can prepare our breadcrumb station.

1	egg
	flour
	breadcrumbs or a fine panko

Beat the egg for 30 seconds and also fill a bowl with flour and one with breadcrumbs or a fine panko. Then gently remove the filling from mold and cover them one by one with a thin layer of flour. Now add a layer of beaten egg and then finally a layer of breadcrumbs. I always like to double the amount of breadcrumbs, for that first cover with another layer of egg and then the breadcrumbs. Keep them in your freezer for later.

Recipe used in pigeon & buckwheat dish