Rare Squab

Servings: 6

Prep Time: 1 hour 30 min [PT1H30M]

Ingredients:

6 squabs

red wine

port

18 tiny onions

12 lychees

2 oz melting chocolate

rocket

cardamom

olive oil

salt and pepper

For the stock:

1 onion

1 leek

1 carrot

1 small stem celery

2 shallots

Cake:

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 tbsp sugar

1 1/2 tbsp salt

3 eggs

3/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

7 oz chopped walnuts

Preparation:

Squab:

Bone the birds (except for last leg bone) and set aside the breasts and thighs. Remove any meat from the carcasses and roast with a little oil at 375 degrees F for about 20 minutes. Fry the vegetables for the stock until soft, then add to the browned carcasses. Leave for about 5 minutes. Moisten with red wine and reduce. Place in a large pan and cover with mineral water. Reduce very slowly to about 1/4. Strain through a fine strainer. To make the sauce, sauté the shallots until browned then add a glass of port. Reduce and add to the carcass broth. Strain and set aside.

Dress the squab with cardamom, salt, pepper and oil. Flash fly the thighs, then cook in the oven with water for 15-20 minutes. Before serving, cut into three pieces (retaining the last bone). Flash fry the breasts and heat under a grill, skin side up so that the skin helps cook them, for about 8 minutes. Retain the rare juices released after cooking.

Cake:

Soften the butter and work with the sugar and salt until mixed. Add the eggs, at room temperature, one by one.

Add the flour and baking powder sifted together. Gradually add the walnuts by hand. Pour the mixture into a greased and floured loaf tin. Bake at 320 degrees F for 35 minutes, covered to protect from excessive browning. Then uncover and bake for a further 25 minutes.

When cold, cut into thin slices measuring 6" long and 3/4" high. Place these strips inside a ring. Bake until crisp at 215 degrees F.

Little onions:

Place the onions in the steam oven for 10 minutes. Remove and peel. Place in a pan with hot oil, season with salt and pepper and a little sugar. Fry gently until lightly browned. Set aside.

Lychees:

Just before serving, sauté the freshly-peeled lychees with the onions and add the pieces of squab thigh. Check for salt and pepper. Add a spoonful of squab sauce to glaze.

To serve:

Melt the chocolate with 1 1/4 cup squab stock. Form a tear-shaped pool of chocolate

Recipe courtesy of Spain GourmeTour magazine