H&C has teamed up with Great Inns of Britain to bring you a delicious and innovative recipe, ideal for those cold winter days.

This superb recipe comes from The Hoste Arms in Burnham Market, Norfolk

Recipe: Warm Smoked Pigeon, Rhubarb Compote, Fennel and Rye Bread

Serves four people.

What you will need:

4 Pigeon Crowns
1 kg Smoking Chips

For the marinade:

200 gm Sugar
100 gm Salt
50 gm Liquid Glucose
600 ml Water

For the compote

12 Sticks of Rhubarb
200 gm Sugar
200 ml Water

To serve:

Wilted Spinach
Rocket Leaves
Reduced Chicken Stock

Method:

Make the marinade for the pigeon by putting all of the marinade ingredients together into a large pan and bring to the boil. Allow to cool and pour over the pigeon crowns and leave to marinade for 12 hours.

To make the compote: boil the sugar and water together whilst still boiling add thinly sliced rhubarb. Cook until rhubarb starts to soften and pass off liquids and reduce until thick then pour back onto the rhubarb and cool.

To smoke the pigeon: use a large deep roasting tray, quarter fill with the smoking chips and splash with a little water. Use the wire rack on top of the roasting tray, heat on the stove top until smoking. Place the pigeon crowns onto the rack, cover with tin foil and allow to smoke for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool them down and then when ready to serve cut the breasts off the crowns and lightly sauté in butter for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.

Fennel and Rye Bread

This makes 2 loaves:

8 oz Rye Flour
8 oz White Bread Flour
20 gm Fennel Seeds
8 Teaspoons Salt
¾ oz Fresh Yeast
2/3 Cup of Lukewarm Milk
4 Teaspoons Clear Honey

Method:

Mix the flour, fennel seeds and salt in a large bowl. Cream the yeast with the milk and honey. Pour the yeast mixture onto the flours. Mix until it makes a stiff dough. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and kneed for 8 to 10 minutes. Place in a large lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave to prove for at least 3 hours. Knock back and shape into an oval shape and place into a prepared loaf tin. Slash 2 long cuts into the dough and bake at 220ºc for 30 to 45 minutes or until golden brown in colour.

Enjoy!