Christmas Cornucopia

The shops are all full of festive foods. In Skibbereen today, Devoys had purple sprouts, Fields were selling pheasant and pigeon, Kalbo’s were selling caramelised nuts. All around us there is a cornucopia of good things to eat.

Here are some ideas for festive foods.

Pigeon breasts. Make a marinade of lemon juice, olive oil and dried oregano. Save some for a sauce, and marinade the pigeon breasts in the rest for at least half an hour. Grill the breasts on a grill pan over a very high heat, and serve with a little more of the lemon/oil dressing.

Potato strawcake is a fine accompaniment to game. Try it with a little centre of green leek. Finely slice some leeks and saute in butter until quite soft. Season. Cut potatoes into matchsticks. Spread the potatoes over the bottom of a hot buttered pan. Top with the leeks, then cover with more potatoes to sandwich the leeks in the centre. Cover and cook over medium heat, shaking the pan to stop it sticking. Cook for about 10 minutes. Turn the potatoes over, sliding them first onto a plate, then inverting back into the newly buttered pan. Cook a further 10 to 15 minutes.

Fry some sausages until almost cooked. Cut in half and wrap a little bacon around them. Just before serving place them in the oven and cook for about 7 minutes, until the bacon just starts to crisp.

Pheasant. Truss the bird, tying a bard of fatty bacon over the breast. Cook for approximately 20 minutes in a high oven. Take out the bird, remove the bacon and slice to separate the legs, pulling them out rather than cutting right through. Return to the oven and cook for a further 10 minutes until the juices run clear. Serve with bread sauce.