Squab With Grapes Recipes

BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH GRAPES

Steps:

• Heat a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir pine nuts until toasted and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Mix squash, grapes, onion, olive oil, salt, pepper, and sage leaves together in a large baking dish to coat squash, onion, and grapes in oil and seasoning.
• Roast in the preheated oven until squash and onion are golden and slightly caramelized, about 50 minutes; sprinkle pine nuts over the dish.

SQUABS IN GRAPE SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat butter in cast iron skillet, and brown squabs on all sides. Remove squabs to a platter.
• Pour off butter and deglaze skillet by taking it off the flame, adding Madeira and scraping fond from skillet's sides and bottom. Add game stock, thyme, basil, parsley and bay leaf. Simmer 5 minutes, uncovered.
• Wash grapes and put them and squabs into the skillet. Cover and cook over medium heat 20 minutes. Remove birds to warm serving platter. Pour remaining juices and liquids into strainer. Put the strained liquid into a sauce pan, adding sugar and salt. Boil until liquid is reduced to two-thirds or half its volume, about 10 to 15 minutes, and has become glistening and thick. Pour sauce around bird.

LACQUERED SQUAB W/ GINGERED CABBAGE AND FENNEL-PEAR PUREE

Steps:

• For the Sichuan pepper-salt:.
• In a small heavy-bottomed pot, slowly roast the salt and peppercorns over low-medium heat until very aromatic, about 20 minutes.
• Cool; grind in a spice grinder and sift through fine sieve and set aside.
• For the Fennel-Pear Purée:.
• Combine the fennel, pears, verjus, anise, sugar and salt in a heavy-bottom pot.
• Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until everything is very tender, about 30 minutes.
• Remove the star anise and purée in a high-speed blender until smooth.
• Adjust the seasoning and pass through a fine sieve and keep warm until ready to serve (should be about i cup of puree).
• For the Gingered Napa Cabbage.
• Chop the cabbage and radicchio into 1-inch dice.
• Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a medium skillet over low heat.
• Sauté the cabbage, spinach and radicchio separately until tender, about 5 to 6 minutes each.
• While the cabbage and radicchio are sautéing, use a mortar and pestle to reduce the ginger, garlic and scallions to a paste.
• Return all the sautéed greens to the pan.
• Add the ginger, garlic and scallion paste to the greens and cook until aromatic, about 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add the raisins, vinegar, salt and sugar. Remove from the stove and dress with sesame oil (should be about 2 cups of the cabbage mixture).
• For the Squab and assembly.
• One hour before cooking, season the squab on both sides with the Sichuan pepper-salt (use as much as you like--at least 1/2 teaspoon).
• Put the honey in a heavy-bottomed sauce pot and cook over medium heat for about 4 minutes until it becomes reduced and thick. Set aside.
• Grill the squabs, skin side down over high heat until golden brown and crispy, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Turn; sear the other sides for 1 to 2 minutes and then rest the squab on a plate for 5 minutes (the squab will be medium-rare).
• Brush the skin sides with a thin coat of warm honey.
• Return it to the hot grill before serving to lightly caramelize the skin for 1 minute on each side.
• Carve the squabs, slicing the breast meat.
• On a serving platter, make a line of the hot fennel-pear purée from one end to the other. Arrange the gingered cabbage in the center and the carved squabs around it.
• Arrange the legs standing up against the cabbage.
• Sprinkle Sichuan pepper-salt on the sliced breast.
• Dust the plate with Chinese 5-spice powder.