Squab is one of my favourite gamey meat to eat. When cooked right, it's tender, juicy and full of flavour. The recipe below is a fool proof way to have your squab cooked to perfection with the help of a sous vide stick. I wasn't 100% happy with the presentation, but the flavours packed on the plate more than made up for it.
Difficulty: Medium
Time: 20min prep, 2hrs cooking
Serves: 2
Ingredients
Squab
- breast, legs and wings carved from 2 whole squabs
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 thyme sprigs
- salt
- pepper
Squab Sauce
- squab carcasses chopped into small pieces
- 1.5 cup beef stock
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup onion finely chopped
- 1/2 cup carrot finely chopped
- 1/2 cup leek finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1/4 tsp coriander powder
- 1/4 tsp all spice
- 1/4 tsp five spice powder
- 1 clove
- salt
- pepper
- oil
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp butter
Jerusalem Artichoke Puree
- 4 medium sized Jerusalem artichokes peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 cup of milk
- 1/4 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 bay leaf
- salt
- pepper
Confit Egg Yolk
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Witlof Salad
- 1 witlof, leaves separated
- 1 radish thinly sliced
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp olive oil
Method
1. Sprinkle the squab breast, legs and wings generously with salt and pepper. Put them into zip lock bags with the butter and thyme. Cook in a sous vide bath at 62 degrees over 2 hours.
2. One hour before the squab is ready, start on the sauce by heating up some oil in a thick sauce pan until it's lightly smoking. Add the squab carcasses and cook over high heat until golden brown for approximately 10 minutes. Add the chopped onions, carrots, leeks, pepper and the spice mixes, continue cooking until softened and lightly caramelised. Add the chicken stock, beef stock and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes. Check regularly and top up with a bit of beef stock if required. There should be about 1/2 cup of sauce left.
3. Put the egg yolks into the zip lock bag with some olive oil and cook in the same sous vide bath over 45 minutes.
4. Add the Jerusalem artichoke in a small pot with milk, chicken stock, nutmeg, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring to boil and simmer over low heat for approximately 10 minutes or until softened. Transfer the Jerusalem artichokes to a food processor with approximately 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid and blend for a smooth puree. Set aside and keep warm.
5. Make the salad dressing by mixing the mustard, honey, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper together until fully emulsified. Set aside for serving later.
6. The sauce should be ready by now, make final adjustment to the seasoning, add in the red wine vinegar and butter and mix until fully melted. Set aside and keep warm.
7. Take the squab meat out of the sous vide bath. Melt some butter in a pan and fry until the skin is nice and golden for a few minutes, careful not to overcook the meat.
8. Plate by assembling the various components on your plate.
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