Squab With Grapes Recipes

SQUAB WITH GRAPES AND ENDIVE

Steps:

• Trim base of endives, remove any darkened outer leaves, and slice in half lengthwise. In a medium saucepan, bring 2 1/2 cups of water to a boil. Add lemon juice, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and endives. Reduce heat; simmer until tender, about 15 minutes.
• Rinse squabs, and pat dry. Cut in half. Remove backbones and necks (set aside) and excess fat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil and 1 teaspoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Place squabs, backbones, and necks in skillet. Brown on all sides, starting skin side down, for a total of 10 minutes.
• Transfer squabs and bones to a plate. Drain fat from pan, return to heat, and add wine and grape juice. Bring to a boil. Return squabs and bones to pan, reduce heat to medium low, and cook, partially covered, for 12 to 15 minutes.
• Heat remaining butter in another skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle endives with remaining 1/2 teaspoon sugar and place, cut side up, in skillet. Cook on both sides until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer squabs to a plate. Discard bones. Strain cooking liquid, skim fat, and return to skillet. Bring to a boil, and reduce slightly until thick, about 3 minutes. Add squabs and grapes; cook until grapes are heated through. Serve with endives.

SQUAB WITH GRAPES

Steps:

• In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil and saute the carrots, onions, shallots, and garlic until softened but not colored, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the remaining marinade ingredients and bring to a boil. Cook 3 minutes; let cool to room temperature. Bone the squab and cut down either side of the backbone; lift out the bone. Crack the cartilage in the breast and flatten the squabs. Pour the marinade in a large deep baking dish or large zipper plastic bags and add the squab; turn to coat all sides. Marinate in the refrigerator overnight. Lift the squabs from the marinade and drain. Melt the butter and swirl in the olive oil in a large saute pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the squabs, skin-side down. Saute 1 to 2 minutes, until browned; turn and brown on the other side. Season with salt and pepper and add a few tablespoons of marinade to the pan. Cook 4 - 5 minutes total, basting the squabs continually with the pan juices as they cook. Turn again twice during the cooking process. Drain off any grease. Pour the marinade through a strainer into the pan and continue to cook, basting with the marinade, until the liquid is reduced by half. Remove the squabs and set aside; keep warm. The squabs should still be pink inside. Increase the heat to medium-high and reduce the juices by half again. Lower the heat to medium-low. Lift the pan from the heat and stir in the creme fraiche. Whisk to blend with the pan juices, then add the peeled grapes. Return to the stove and warm through, 1 to 2 minutes. To serve: Place a squab, skin-side up, in the center of each serving plate. Surround each with 12 grapes. Spoon sauce over the grapes and around the squabs.

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.

PAN-ROASTED SQUAB WITH SPRING GARLIC COMPOTE

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.