LET'S CALL A SPADE A SPADE OR, IN THIS CASE, A SQUAB A PIGEON. IF YOU ARE FRENCH, ITALIAN OR SPANISH, YOU'D KNOW WHAT YOU WERE EATING. BUT IF YOU SERVED TEN PEOPLE SQUAB IN THIS ENGLISH-SPEAKING WORLD, I'LL STAKE MY TOQUE THAT ONLY A COUPLE WOULD REALIZE THEY WERE EATING PIGEON. BUT WHAT'S IN A NAME, RIGHT? PIGEON, ALL DARK MEAT, SLIGHTLY GAMEY SHOULD BE SERVED PINK BECAUSE MUCH BEYOND THAT THE FLESH TOUGHENS. YOU CAN BRAISE THEM TILL THE MEAT FALLS OFF THE BONE AS DOES MARCELLA HAZAN FOR SOPA COADA, A LUSCIOUS MAIN COURSE SOUP LAYERED WITH TOASTED BREAD AND PARMESAN CHEESE. JOËL ROBUCHON TAKES A MORE AUSTERE APPROACH; EITHER ROASTING THE LITTLE BIRDS OR BROWNING THEM BEFORE FINISHING THEM IN A COVERED POT. HERE, I'VE COMBINED TWO TECHNIQUES - BRAISING AND BROILING. THE PIGEONS ARE SPATCH-COCKED, THEN BRAISED TO TENDERIZE THEM AND FINISHED UNDER THE BROILER SO THEY BROWN ON TOP. CABBAGE IS THE IDEAL ACCOMPANIMENT AND A PURÉE OF ROOT VEGETABLES SUCH AS CELERY ROOT, POTATOES, KOHLRABI OR A COMBINATION OF ALL THREE.
SPLIT THE PIGEONS ALONG THE BACKBONE, BUT DON'T CUT THEM IN HALF. OPEN THEM LIKE A BOOK AND SPREAD THEM SKIN SIDE UP ON THE COUNTER. PRESS DOWN HARD TO CRACK THE BREAST BONES AND FLATTEN THEM AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. FLIP THEM OVER AN PULL OUT AS MUCH OF THE BREAST BONES AS POSSIBLE.
IN A LARGE FRYING PAN, MELT 3 TBSPS OF BUTTER IN A TBSP OF VEGETABLE OIL. DRY THE PIGEONS WITH PAPER TOWELS. SEASON WITH SALT AND PEPPER.
TRIM, PEEL AND ROUGHLY CHOP THE SHALLOTS.
WHEN THE BUTTER IS VERY HOT, LAY THE PIGEONS IN SKIN SIDE UP. PRESS THEM DOWN INTO THE PAN SO THEY BROWN. COOK FOR ABOUT 4 MINUTES.
LOWER THE HEAT. ADD THE SHALLOTS AND THE THYME, MOVING THEM AROUND SO THE SHALLOTS SOFTEN BUT DO NOT BROWN. ADD A 1/2 CUP OF WATER TO THE PAN AND COVER. BRAISE ON LOW HEAT FOR ABOUT SIX MINUTES OR UNTIL THE BREASTS SPRING BACK SLIGHTLY WHEN YOU POKE THEM.
MEANWHILE, SET THE OVEN RACK CLOSE TO THE BROILER AND PRE-HEAT.
SMEAR A FEW TBSPS OF BUTTER ON THE SKIN SIDE OF THE PIGEONS. SALT AND PEPPER. SLIDE THEM UNDER THE BROILER AND BROIL FOR ANOTHER FEW MINUTES OR UNTIL THEY ARE NICELY BROWNED. (NOTE: BROILERS VARY IN INTENSITY, SO BROWNING THEM MAY TAKE MORE OR LESS TIME ACCORDINGLY.)
GARNISH WITH CHOPPED PARSLEY AND SERVE.
SERVES 4
SPLIT THE PIGEONS ALONG THE BACKBONE, BUT DON'T CUT THEM IN HALF. OPEN THEM LIKE A BOOK AND SPREAD THEM SKIN SIDE UP ON THE COUNTER. PRESS DOWN HARD TO CRACK THE BREAST BONES AND FLATTEN THEM AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. FLIP THEM OVER AN PULL OUT AS MUCH OF THE BREAST BONES AS POSSIBLE.
IN A LARGE FRYING PAN, MELT 3 TBSPS OF BUTTER IN A TBSP OF VEGETABLE OIL. DRY THE PIGEONS WITH PAPER TOWELS. SEASON WITH SALT AND PEPPER.
TRIM, PEEL AND ROUGHLY CHOP THE SHALLOTS.
WHEN THE BUTTER IS VERY HOT, LAY THE PIGEONS IN SKIN SIDE UP. PRESS THEM DOWN INTO THE PAN SO THEY BROWN. COOK FOR ABOUT 4 MINUTES.
LOWER THE HEAT. ADD THE SHALLOTS AND THE THYME, MOVING THEM AROUND SO THE SHALLOTS SOFTEN BUT DO NOT BROWN. ADD A 1/2 CUP OF WATER TO THE PAN AND COVER. BRAISE ON LOW HEAT FOR ABOUT SIX MINUTES OR UNTIL THE BREASTS SPRING BACK SLIGHTLY WHEN YOU POKE THEM.
MEANWHILE, SET THE OVEN RACK CLOSE TO THE BROILER AND PRE-HEAT.
SMEAR A FEW TBSPS OF BUTTER ON THE SKIN SIDE OF THE PIGEONS. SALT AND PEPPER. SLIDE THEM UNDER THE BROILER AND BROIL FOR ANOTHER FEW MINUTES OR UNTIL THEY ARE NICELY BROWNED. (NOTE: BROILERS VARY IN INTENSITY, SO BROWNING THEM MAY TAKE MORE OR LESS TIME ACCORDINGLY.)
GARNISH WITH CHOPPED PARSLEY AND SERVE.
SERVES 4
Ingredients
Directions
SPLIT THE PIGEONS ALONG THE BACKBONE, BUT DON'T CUT THEM IN HALF. OPEN THEM LIKE A BOOK AND SPREAD THEM SKIN SIDE UP ON THE COUNTER. PRESS DOWN HARD TO CRACK THE BREAST BONES AND FLATTEN THEM AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. FLIP THEM OVER AN PULL OUT AS MUCH OF THE BREAST BONES AS POSSIBLE.
IN A LARGE FRYING PAN, MELT 3 TBSPS OF BUTTER IN A TBSP OF VEGETABLE OIL. DRY THE PIGEONS WITH PAPER TOWELS. SEASON WITH SALT AND PEPPER.
TRIM, PEEL AND ROUGHLY CHOP THE SHALLOTS.
WHEN THE BUTTER IS VERY HOT, LAY THE PIGEONS IN SKIN SIDE UP. PRESS THEM DOWN INTO THE PAN SO THEY BROWN. COOK FOR ABOUT 4 MINUTES.
LOWER THE HEAT. ADD THE SHALLOTS AND THE THYME, MOVING THEM AROUND SO THE SHALLOTS SOFTEN BUT DO NOT BROWN. ADD A 1/2 CUP OF WATER TO THE PAN AND COVER. BRAISE ON LOW HEAT FOR ABOUT SIX MINUTES OR UNTIL THE BREASTS SPRING BACK SLIGHTLY WHEN YOU POKE THEM.
MEANWHILE, SET THE OVEN RACK CLOSE TO THE BROILER AND PRE-HEAT.
SMEAR A FEW TBSPS OF BUTTER ON THE SKIN SIDE OF THE PIGEONS. SALT AND PEPPER. SLIDE THEM UNDER THE BROILER AND BROIL FOR ANOTHER FEW MINUTES OR UNTIL THEY ARE NICELY BROWNED. (NOTE: BROILERS VARY IN INTENSITY, SO BROWNING THEM MAY TAKE MORE OR LESS TIME ACCORDINGLY.)
GARNISH WITH CHOPPED PARSLEY AND SERVE.
SERVES 4
