Pan Seared Squab With Rice Dressing And Port Reduction Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Wash and dry the squab.
• In a medium size heavy skillet, over a medium heat, fry the bacon until crisp. Drain on paper and crumble. Reserve the bacon grease. Add the onion to the skillet and saute 3 to 5 minutes, or until transparent. Add the celery and cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Add the dried apricots and stock. Return the bacon to the skillet and add the parsley. Place the cornbread in a large bowl. Pour the entire contents of the skillet over the cornbread and toss well to coat. Season the squabs inside and out with salt and pepper and stuff with the cornbread stuffing. Truss the squabs. In a large cast iron skillet, heat the reserved bacon fat. Saute the squabs until brown on all sides, turning often. Transfer the squabs to a baking dish and place in the oven. Meanwhile, saute the shallots in the skillet, add the apricot brandy and reduce by half. Add the Habanero chile powder. Add the orange juice and cook until slightly thickened. Glaze the squab every 5 minutes as they finish roasting, for 15 minutes.
• Serve with steamed broad beans.

Steps:

• In small sauce pan saute shallots and chopped garlic in oil. Once they are soft, but not brown, transfer to a one-pint measuring cup. Add wine, bay leaves, thyme and peppercorns. In a nonreactive baking dish place squab, breast down, along bottom. Pour shallot marinade oven squab, cover, and refrigerate overnight. In a preheated 375 degree oven, place squab, breast-side up in baking dish. Discard marinade. Roast squab for 40 - 50 minutes, or until juices of breast meat turn clear when you poke with a fork. Serve with roasted garlic and polenta.
• For the Roast Garlic and Sage Polenta: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In bowl toss garlic in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Wrap loosely in aluminum foil and roast in oven for 30 minutes. Remove and let cool. Peel cloves. In large saucepan add chicken broth and garlic. Bring to a boil and let simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside, preferably overnight. Remove garlic from broth, set aside, and bring broth to a boil. Slowly add the cornmeal, whisking constantly until fully incorporated, and mixture thickens. Lower heat and cook polenta for 20 minutes, stirring periodically. Add butter, creme fraiche, sage, salt, and pepper just before serving. Stir well to incorporate. In large saute pan saute morels in remaining oil over a high heat. Serve with squab.

Steps:

• For the squab: In a baking dish large enough to hold the squab, combine the soy sauce, molasses, wine, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, black pepper, and oil. Add the squab, turn to coat, and marinate, covered, about 1 hour.
• Prepare a medium-hot grill and season the squab with salt and pepper. Place the squab skin side down on the grill and cook until brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn and cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes for medium-rare. Be sure to cook the legs an extra 2 minutes on each side. Remove the squab and keep warm.
• For the fried rice: In a medium sautee pan coated with oil, sweat the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic over medium heat for five minutes. Add the rice and the oil and saute for 3 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, add the chicken stock, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. When the mixture begins to boil, turn the heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until done, then set aside. Prepare a medium saute pan over high heat. Season the foie gras with the salt and pepper, and then sear each side for about 1 minute each. Add the rice mixture to the foie gras and mix in the chives. Keep warm.
• For the syrup: In a medium saute pan, over high heat, add the oil and cook the shallots, and garlic until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the squab bones and continue cooking until brown. Deglaze the pan with the wine, then add the molasses, thyme, bay leaf and chicken stock. Cook the mixture until the liquid is reduced by 1/2, and then strain to remove the bones. Return the strained liquid to the pan, reduce by half again and set aside. Garnish: 1 teaspoon truffle oil 1 teaspoon lemon juice Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 1/2 cup pea tendrils.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the truffle oil and the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat the pea tendrils.
• Plating: Right before serving, whisk the butter and lemon juice into the sauce and correct the seasonings. Mound the rice at one end of a large oval platter. Place the squab breast and legs crisscrossed along the platter and place the pea tendril salad near the squab. Drizzle over the sauce.

Steps:

• Remove the breasts, thighs, and drumsticks from the squab and reserve. Using a large chef's knife, chop the bodies and wings into 3 or 4 pieces. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the squab bones and parts and sauté until well browned. Add the carrots, onion, and garlic cloves. Cook until softened and lightly colored, 6 to 8 minutes in all, then add 2 cups of the wine. Continue to cook until reduced by three-quarters, 6 to 8 minutes, then add the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 1 hour. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl, pressing on the solids to extract all the liquid. You should end up with about 2 cups liquid. Discard the solids. Put the liquid in a clean saucepan and reduce until syrupy, or 1/4 cup total; the timing will vary depending on your stove and pan, but will be about 15 minutes.
• To make the compote, cut the spring garlic bulbs from the stems, then slice crosswise 1/8 inch thick. Film a sauté pan with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and heat over high heat. Fry the garlic until crisp and lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour off the oil. Add the remaining 1 cup wine to the pan and cook over medium heat until reduced to about 2 tablespoons, about 10 minutes. Add the honey and cook until the mixture is thickened and coats the back of a spoon, 4 to 5 minutes. Reserve at room temperature.
• In a large sauté pan over high heat, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil on high heat and fry the squab breasts, thighs, and drumsticks skin-side down first, putting a light weight on the breasts or pressing with a spatula, for about 3 minutes. Turn the pieces and cook for 2 minutes longer, then turn once more to crisp the skin and finish cooking. Breasts should be served medium-rare, while thighs and drumsticks are cooked through. Allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
• When ready to serve, reheat the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Divide the compote among 4 plates and place the squab pieces on top. Spoon the sauce around the squab and serve.