Squabs In Grape Sauce 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 FRIED SQUAB WITH APRICOT GLAZE AND CORNBREAD STUFFING

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.

SQUAB WITH MUSHROOMS AND PEARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Mix together bacon, pear and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper.
• Rinse and dry squabs. Rub with butter. Stuff cavity of each with 3 sprigs thyme, 3 sage leaves and a clove of garlic. Place in baking dish and roast for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 400 degrees and roast 10 minutes more. Remove from oven. Wrap each squab in foil to keep warm.
• Stir wine into baking dish, scraping the bottom. Spread the mushroom mixture into the baking dish and cook for 20 minutes. Stir in stock. Increase oven temperature to 475 degrees. Unwrap squabs and place them on top of the mushroom mixture. Return the baking dish to the oven for 5 minutes.
• Remove squabs to a cutting board. Spread mushroom mixture, including any juices in the pan, on a warm serving platter. Using poultry or kitchen shears, or a sharp heavy knife, cut the squabs in quarters. Arrange on the platter and garnish with thyme sprigs.

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.