SQUAB WITH MUSHROOMS AND PEARS

Squab With Mushrooms and Pears image

There's an almost infinite list of compatible dishes to match the earthy elegance of Barolo. Some gaminess, herbs, fruit and the alluring funkiness of mushrooms are the wine-friendly elements brought together in this dish, a dinner for two. The method of roasting the squab is based on the recipe in Pierre Koffmann's "Memories of Gascony." It's a technique that yields perfectly medium-rare birds, so I would not mess with it. But the accompanying pear and mushroom ragout is my own, and I'm quite proud of it, down to the idea of not bothering to peel the pears. You could serve the squabs whole for more drama, but quartering them makes them easier for guests to handle.

Provided by Florence Fabricant

Categories dinner, for two, lunch, roasts, main course

Time 40m

Yield 2 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

2 strips bacon, in 1/2-inch pieces
1 ripe but firm Bosc pear, cored and diced
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, quartered
Salt and ground black pepper
2 squabs
1 tablespoon soft unsalted butter
6 sprigs thyme, more for garnish
6 sage leaves
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/3 cup red wine
2 tablespoons well-flavored chicken or veal stock

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.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 1186, UnsaturatedFat 47 grams, Carbohydrate 26 grams, Fat 89 grams, Fiber 5 grams, Protein 63 grams, SaturatedFat 33 grams, Sodium 1398 milligrams, Sugar 12 grams, TransFat 0 grams