Roasted squab stuffed with foie gras

INGREDIENTS

(serves six)

For the jus
3 squab pigeons
2tbs olive oil
50g diced onion
25g diced carrot
15g diced celery
1 crushed clove garlic
Thyme
Bay leaf
60ml dry white wine
For the stuffed breasts
2 slices white bread, without crusts
220ml double cream
30ml olive oil
50g carrot brunoise
50g celery brunoise
Salt and white pepper
60g bacon lardons
3 squab livers
2 sliced mushrooms
120g sliced onion
120g pork shoulder in strips
Reserved squab leg meat
1 beaten egg
50ml chicken stock
250g foie gras in 25mm slices
6 reserved squab breasts
Optional truffles

To assemble
Caul fat
Clarified butter
Seasoning
A little squab jus
Farce
Squab breasts
Fresh butter

METHOD

Bone out the breasts, keeping them attached by the skin and reserve. Bone out the legs, discarding the skin but keeping bone and meat apart. Chop bones and carcass. Brown the bones slowly in oil, then transfer them to a hot oven for 20 minutes. Strain off any oil, add the vegetables and cook on the range for 10 minutes. Add the herbs and deglaze with wine, scraping any sediment from the base of the pan. Add water to cover. Return to the oven for about 30 minutes more. Pass into a clean pan, leave fat to rise to the surface and skim. Reduce to 120ml.

Soak the bread in cream. Chill. Warm 1tbs oil in a pan add the carrot and celery, season and sweat for five minutes. Warm the rest of the oil and fry the lardons in it. Add the livers, onion and mushrooms. Cook out and season. Chill thoroughly. Blend the cream, squab legs, pork, liver, onions and mushrooms in a food processor. Beat in the brunoise, egg, stock and seasoning. Season and sauté the foie gras, strain off fat and chill.

Preheat the oven to 170ºC, gas mark 3-4. For each squab, lay a sheet of caul fat on a work surface, put a double breast on top, fill with farce, foie gras and optional slices of truffle. Re-form into a rough pigeon shape. Wrap in a second layer of caul fat and chill so that the meat will keep its shape. Warm the clarified butter in a pan and slowly colour the meat on all sides. Transfer to an oven to finish roasting. Remove the caul fat.

Serve with the squab jus into which you've beaten some butter, and garnish with seasonal vegetables. Each squab serves two portions and can be carved at the table.

Daniel Boulud

Photo © Sam Bailey