SERVES 4
4 x 450g pigeons
Glaze
1lt water
250ml light soy
100ml dark soy
4 star anise
3 cassia sticks
2cm ginger sliced
1tsp Sichuan pepper
100 ml Shao Shing wine
125g maltose
Combine all ingredients for the glaze in a pot and simmer for 5 mins.
To glaze pigeons
Remove any remaining guts from pigeons. Holding pigeons by the heads dip into simmering glaze for 10 seconds, transfer breast side up to a rack, or hang them in front of a fan to dry for 2 hours. Once dry remove the necks.
DUCK EGG NOODLES- could use bought, fresh noodles.
220g strong flour
2 duck eggs
Sift flour onto a bench and make a well in the centre. Whisk duck eggs to combine and add to the well gradually. Mix in flour and knead until silky smooth. Roll through a pasta machine to number 5 and then through the spaghetti attachment. Hang the noodles to dry slightly. Then blanch in boiling salted water for 60 seconds and refresh in iced water. Drain, then lightly coat in olive oil to prevent sticking.
NOODLE GARNISH
1 cup coriander leaves
1 small abalone, cleaned, tenderized & finely sliced
4 shitake mushrooms finely sliced
2 spring onions, finely sliced
80g bean shoots picked
2tbsp XO sauce (available from Asian provision stores)
1 chilli, julienned
1cm ginger, julienned
NOODLE SAUCE
paste
2 cloves garlic
2 coriander roots
1cm  ginger
2 shallots
4 white peppercorns
50ml vegetable oil
80ml shao shing wine
30g rock sugar
50ml soy sauce
60ml abalone sauce
500ml chicken stock
Pound paste ingredients together in a mortar and pestle. Heat oil in a wok and fry paste until fragrant. Then add sugar & wine, reduce slightly and add remaining ingredients. Bring to the boil, reserve
TO SERVE
Pre heat oven to 250C, roast pigeons on a rack for 8-10 minutes breast side up until nicely coloured and medium rare. Rest for 10 minutes loosely covered in a warm place.
Heat 30mls veg oil in a wok add Xo sauce, chillies, ginger, shitakes, bean shoots and spring onions and cook until fragrant and the shitakes are softened. Add noodles and toss well. Then add enough sauce to liberally moisten the noodles. Fold in abalone and coriander leaves and let the residual heat of the noodles just cook the abalone.
Place 4 x 5cm ring moulds off centre in 4 large deep plates and divide abalone noodles amongst them. Carve breasts and legs from pigeons and arrange in a stacked fashion next to noodles. Top with a teaspoon of Xo sauce and serve…