6 Bresse pigeons
Maldon salt and coarsely ground black pepper
grated zest of 2 lemons
6 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1 bunch fresh rosemary, leaves picked from the stalks
500 ml (17 fl oz) Valpolicella di Classico
3 tablespoons olive oil
For six
To flatten the birds, using a large knife, make a cut down either side of the backbone and remove. Now use a small knife and carefully cut the body carcass and breast bones away from the meat. Spread each bird out flat, and place in a large flat dish. Season with salt and pepper, scatter over the lemon zest, garlic and rosemary, and add the Valpolicella and olive oil. Turn over in the marinade and leave for 1 hour.
Preheat the char-grill or griddle pan to medium hot. Remove the birds from the marinade; strain and keep the liquid.
Place the birds on the grill, skin side down, and cook for 3–4 minutes, positioning the legs of each bird, which take longer to cook, on the hottest part of the grill. The breast should remain slightly pink. Turn and cook for a further 5–10 minutes.
Spoon a little of the marinade over each bird in the final few minutes. Remove from the grill, and spoon a little more marinade over each bird whilst they rest.