Braaied Pigeon Breasts

I set up a couple of decoys in the third row of sunflowers, about 30 metres away from our small camp, mainly for their entertainment value over lunch, and unpacked my truck. It was not long before the first pigeons landed close to the decoys. The birds were coming in high and as they spotted the decoys, they flared their wings and I shot a couple of them as they began to glide down.

My GSP, Ruger, did the retrieving. I removed the breasts and placed them in a plastic bag with olive oil, salt and black pepper, giving them a quick massage to coat the meat before putting them in the cooler box.

As the morning progressed, Steve got into the swing of things and was having some success. I kept him supplied with shotgun shells and cold water while Ruger picked up the birds.

By late morning, the birds had all but left the field and I presented Steve with his lunch. A well-aged steak braaied medium-rare, as per his wishes, with fresh salad and crispy bread rolls and a selection of fruit and chocolates for dessert. When I offered him the pigeon breasts that I had braaied as a starter, he tasted the first one and then promptly ate the others, leaving the steak untouched.

■ 8 pigeon breasts

■ 4 jalapeňo chillies

■ 8 slices of bacon

■ olive oil

■ salt and pepper

■ toothpicks

Clean the pigeon breasts making sure to remove the out er membrane between the